Rules of Engagement
by shittyelfwriter
Summary: (TEC:Reloaded) When a letter to Santa brings changes to every aspect of Elle Connelly's life, she faces personal challenges around every corner. Then, Bernard chooses her to become his number two, his right hand. There's something magical binding them together that neither understands...it's a lot for a new elf to handle, but can Elle learn to accept it before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

_1._

Bernard sat at his desk.

This was hardly unusual.

As Head Elf, he spent a lot of time at his desk, doing monotonous paperwork when he'd rather be doing something else. But this time, it wasn't paperwork that had put him there; it was Santa directly, and Bernard couldn't decide if that was better or worse.

For starters, Santa Claus had gotten a call from his father in Hawaii that morning. Surprisingly, Scott was actually on _decent_ operable terms with his father, despite the physical distance that had existed long before he'd donned the suit.

"Hi dad. What's up?" A casual greeting, which belittled the strain Scott was already under. Already he had a situation on his hands with the Handbook, and besides this there was another, less fathomable problem clinging to the outskirts of the Pole's boundaries. But it wasn't often his father asked him for favors, so Santa knew the situation must be dire indeed. He was correct, and what had followed had been a serious and lengthy conversation.

After Santa had hung up the phone, he had sat by himself in the safety of his office, taking in the news and processing it alongside his other existing issues. Slowly, over the course of several painstaking hours of studying, planning, and some sustaining cookies and cocoa, he had a rough idea of what needed to happen. Luckily for everyone involved it seemed he would be able to take care of two problems at once, which would give him more time to worry about the third, more dangerous one.

When he was moderately satisfied with his plan, he sent for the two people he knew could help him sort the situation out.

Bernard should have taken it as a warning when he saw Scott's telltale grin of satisfaction, and excused himself with whatever means necessary. But he didn't, and that would have more of an effect than he ever could have known.

"You rang, sir?" Curtis scrambled into the office, taking up position beside Bernard and flashing his superior a slightly embarrassed grin. Ever since the escape clause incident, Curtis had been on his best behavior to prove that he didn't deserve to be fired. Demoted to the research and development section twas bad enough, but then, he quite liked the lesser burden of responsibility, and the free time he had to work on his projects. He had come to consider the fact that maybe he just wasn't cut out for management, after all.

Bernard narrowed his eyes slightly and turned back to Scott, tilting his chin up ever-so-slightly. Needless to say, he was still searching his heart to find forgiveness for what Curtis had allowed to happen in his absence. It may have been some eleven years since the Escape Clause Incident, but that wasn't long at all in the life of an elf. Scott may have been able to let the situation go, that was human nature to forgive and forget. But Bernard didn't have that advantage, and had been grudging to forgive the mistake that Curtis had made. He had finally given him the chance to play head elf, and he'd completely blown it. It had actually cost them Christmas, but luckily, Scott had been able to reverse the effects of the Clause in time. That level of mistake was hard to just drop—or maybe that was just Bernard being a scrooge. He honestly didn't care if he was somewhat scrooge-like from time-to-time; someone had to keep their head screwed on when it seemed like they were the only person keeping things from descending into chaos.

"Bernard, Curtis, great. Just who I wanted to see."

Bernard frowned. "I gathered. Like Curtis said, you _did_ ring."

Scott gave him a look. " _Alright_ Bernard, don't get your tinsel in a tangle." He adjusted some books on his desk, a few papers fluttering to the ground. "We need to talk. First off, I'd like to ask you to both take a seat. This may take awhile."

Bernard and Curtis exchanged uncomfortable looks. Eventually Curtis shrugged, and scampered off to find a chair on the opposite side of the room. Bernard, with his ability to perform better magic, simply conjured one up for himself with a careless wave of his hand. By the time Curtis returned he was sitting down comfortably with a smirk on his face—a smirk that quickly became a grin when Curtis scowled in irritation, huffing from the weight of the chair he'd just dragged over.

"What seems to be the problem, Santa?" Bernard asked, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles while Curtis plopped exhaustedly down in his seat.

Scott was sitting across from them with his glasses perched on his nose. "Well boys, some things have come to my attention this morning that need to be discussed."

"Uh oh." Curtis coughed, suddenly uncomfortable. He squirmed a little in his seat. "If this is about Chet, I'll deal with it, I promise. I had no idea he knew where we kept the oat cakes, and if I had known he knew, I never would have left him without supervision."

"No, this isn't about Chet," Santa said while scanning a large book in front of him, a finger trailing the page. "Though if you have one more mistake this month I'll have to ban you from the floor, Curtis. That's the third incident this month, we can't have that kind of clumsiness!"

"Sorry, Santa," Curtis replied, clearly dejected. He was staring at his lap in shame, cheeks a bright red. To say that his path to redemption was a long, difficult one was an understatement when he was so clumsy.

"Don't stress yourself out over it, just do better, okay?" Scott smiled at him reassuringly. Curtis gave a half-hearted smile in return.

"Well then if it's about the quotas being a bit short, I've already got it under control." Bernard scowled, crossing his arms. "Apparently, some of the elves down in packaging decided to take a few 'unauthorized breaks'. It won't be happening again."

"No, this isn't about quotas either." Santa looked up at his elves, serious for once. Scott wasn't deathly serious very often. Generally speaking, it wasn't a good sign—not _at all._ "Whatever the issue with the quotas is, we'll pull through. We always do. No, what I have to discuss with you two is a bit less routine than all that."

"Go on," Bernard prompted, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach.

Scott sighed and picked up and envelope from his desk. "I received this letter in this morning's Santa Post. I think for understanding's sake you'd both better have a read."

"A bit early for writing to Santa…it's only August." Hesitantly Bernard reached out and took it, tilting it to allow a single sheet of notebook paper to slide out into his hand.

 _Dear Santa,_ it read,

 _I'm not sure if I should be writing to you, since technically I don't believe in Santa Claus. I know that St. Nicholas is real, and he visits my house every year on December 19th. At least I think so. But then I thought maybe you were the one delivering for him nowadays, so I decided to write you anyway. I don't know for certain what the truth is, but I need some help._

 _My daddy is very sick, Santa. I'm scared. He has cancer, and every time he seems to be getting better Dr. Calvin gives us bad news that something else has gone wrong. They don't say so, not to me, but I think the grownups expect him to die. My sister Ellington is scared too, but she doesn't talk about it. She likes to be strong, so I don't feel so afraid. She's seventeen and really smart. She would be in college by now if Daddy wasn't sick all this time. I just wish she had someone to talk to about everything, cause she doesn't really have any friends, besides me. There just isn't time, with how many chores we have to do and how busy we are. Could you find her a friend, for Christmas? If you could, it would mean a lot to us both._

 _My family needs a miracle. I'm asking God for one already but I thought it would be good to ask for all the help I can get. Santa, if you can do anything, please, let my Daddy live. I'm not sure if I've been good all year or not, but I won't ask for anything else, I promise._

 _Thank you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Annise Connelly_

Bernard looked up over the edge of the paper, speechless. He found Santa watching him with tears in his eyes and smiling sadly.

"That's…remarkable," Bernard said quietly. He cleared his throat and passed the letter and its envelope to Curtis. "You don't always see that kind of selflessness in kids these days."

"My thoughts exactly." Santa leaned back and laced his fingers on his stomach thoughtfully. Curtis was reading the letter, dabbing at his eyes with a red kerchief. "I was even more surprised when my father called me out of the blue, about these _same children._ "

"How does he know them?" Bernard asked hesitantly, confused.

"He's the doctor treating their father, apparently."

"Dr. Calvin, right."

Curtis leaned far forward and passed the letter back to Scott, then proceeded to loudly blow his nose. This garnered yet another roll of the eyes from Bernard's quarters. "And he seconded what the girl said. Their father _is_ on his deathbed, and won't live to see the spring."

"That's…terrible," Curtis said.

"But I don't see what we can do about it."

"That's a cold thing to say, Bernard."

Bernard tilted his head. "Santa, you know that I would like every child to have his or her Christmas wish."

"Yeah, sometimes I wonder if you only feel that way out of obligation…" Scott muttered. Bernard ignored him.

"But you and I both know that granting prolonged life is outside of Santa's abilities. It belongs in the hands of Mother Nature, Father Time…and several other magical sprites that don't have seats on the Council but are nevertheless very powerful. Life is one of the only gifts you are unable to give."

"What about when people ask for babies?" Scott asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"Really Santa, you've been in the suit for almost fifteen years. You don't know this stuff by now? Those requests are contracted out to the Stork. And besides, most humans can take care of that on their own." Curtis, rather inappropriately, broke down into giggles. With a frown, Bernard scowled and upslapped the younger elf.

"OW!"

Scott was too preoccupied to notice. "Then it's a good thing I noticed this earlier this week." He searched his desk for something, eventually holding up a section of the List.

"Naughty or Nice?"

"Nice, obviously!" Santa found himself having to refrain from glaring at Bernard. "I thought it would be a good idea to at least check to make sure before I got involved. Sure enough, this is the listing for the Connelly children."

"There are only two children under Connelly on this List," Curtis noted.

"Precisely. Dottie Connelly _is_ on the Naughty List. She also doesn't live with her siblings, but with her birth mother in Seattle. The other two live with their father and mother in Hawaii."

"Interesting family dynamic." Bernard didn't know why he was being so cynical, but it was coming to him naturally just then and he didn't feel much like checking it.

"Note the mark next to the names." A golden embossed stamp was next to each of the girls' names: a swirling SC and a half crescent of words and numbers.

" _Ref 9274."_ Bernard said aloud. Instantly Curtis was bouncing in his chair.

"Ooh ooh! That's a reference to the Handbook." In a flash he had said book spread out on his lap, turning it to the appropriate page and adopting his serious reading voice. "'Reference 9274: the _Emissary Clause_."

"Exactly. Another _Clause._ Which is why I'd like to know why it wasn't brought to my attention before. I thought there were only the three Clauses: Santa, Missus, and Escape," Scott went on, turning through the pages of his own abbreviated copy of the _Handbook_ that he kept for casual usage. "Now there's the _Emissary Clause?_ "

Bernard sighed a long loud sigh, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. Already he could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. "Santa, there are quite a few Clauses, alright? They only come into play at certain times, which is the only time you, as Santa, need to worry about them. Besides, truly memorizing _everything_ you need to know would take you several centuries—and just look at how Curtis turned out, trying to learn it all."

Curtis beamed for a confused moment before turning to his superior with an angry glare. Bernard, as per usual, paid him no mind.

"Well _I_ haven't even seen this Clause yet, _for your information,"_ Curtis said sharply, pushing up his glasses with the pad of his finger. "It seems to have been Deadlocked…I couldn't have opened it even if I wanted to. So there."

"Deadlocked?" Scott's face was wrinkled in confusion.

"A deadlock is a particular type of seal, that involves magic and a set amount of time," Curtis offered up helpfully. "It's usually in Father Time's domain to set such seals, and he does so on a strict case-by-case basis. Whatever this Clause is about, it must be really important."

"' _Every 550 years, an emissary must be chosen from among humans to visit the North Pole, be they lonely or without cheer_ ,'" Scott read aloud musingly. "' _All emissaries must be under the age of eighteen. All emissaries must be female. This practice must be observed every 550th year, with the exception of postponements. Such postponements may be made only by Santa or the Head Elf._ '" He looked up, confused. "Well those are _very_ specific instructions. You alright there, Bernard?"

"What? Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Bernard shrugged lightly, but his careless laugh was a little too high pitched. He seemed more than a bit uncomfortable with the situation—at least so Scott thought. His Head Elf was beginning to glance at the door every few seconds, and the looks in his eyes could almost be labeled as panic.

"Hmmm." Scott obviously wasn't convinced, but decided to let the matter drop. "So. Would somebody like to explain to me why this Clause says every 550 years, yet was, what do you call it…"

"Deadlocked," Curtis supplied.

"…Deadlocked, right. Why would it say 'an Emissary must be chosen every 550 years' if the Clause couldn't even be viewed until now?"

"Because it was…" Bernard's sentence trailed off into muttering.

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Bernard?"

"Because it was supposed to accumulate," Bernard repeated, staring across the table at Scott irritably. "That's the only _logical_ reason, right? The only _logical_ reason why it seems that it was almost _waiting_ for these three girls, even though one is on the Naughty list?"

"True. Okay, we'll go with that. I like it. 'Supposed to accumulate'." Scott looked down at his book again. "Here in my copy it says to refer to the Unabridged Volume for further information. Curtis, what do you got?"

"Well, it's…" Curtis frowned, trying to unstick a pair of pages. After several unsuccessful attempts, he gave up. "It seems that the rest of the pages are still Deadlocked, sir."

"Until when?"

"It doesn't say."

Scott leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I'm not really sure if that simplifies things or complicates them at this point."

"What do you need us to do, Santa?" Bernard was clearly getting impatient now, as attested to by the fact that he was checking his watch, the wall clock, and the clock tower across the courtyard through Santa's balcony doors. "It may only be August but we're still on a schedule here."

"Oh come _on_ , Bernard, don't be so soulless!" Scott gave his Head Elf an equally irritable stare. "These girls are, by some strange chance, our responsibility this holiday season—which means that _you_ are going to be directly involved."

"Oh no."

Oh _yes._ See it says here in the Clause that the Head Elf is to be one of the supervising ah…what did it say? Chaperones. Rather applicable, really."

Bernard sputtered in indignation. "But Santa. You know I don't have _time_ for—"

"Ah ah ah!" Scott wagged a finger at him. "You of all people know that there is _no arguing_ with a Clause, Number One."

"Really? Number one? I'm your only head elf."

"As per your request, but if you ask me, the stress isn't doing wonders for your mood," Scott retorted.

Bernard scowled furiously down at the floor, eyes hidden beneath his hair and hat. Curtis was rather inappropriately grinning. It wasn't often he got to see Bernard put in his place by Santa himself, when usually it was the other way around.

"So here's what we're going to do," Scott announced decisively, taking charge of the situation. "It will take me a while to convene a Council of Legendary Figures to deal with the issue of their father's health—I'll also need to speak with my father about his case. In the meantime, the girls will fulfill the Emissary Clause for us. What were their names again?"

"Ellington, Dorothy and Annise," said Bernard, surprising both Santa and Curtis. He looked up, clearly annoyed. "What, am I the only one here graced with functioning short term memory?"

"Easy, mister."

"Or should I also overlook the fact that we have _no_ idea what to do with _that,"_ said Bernard, and pointed to a large map on the wall. Not surprisingly, it was a map of the North Pole. But the map, although made of paper, moved. It was enchanted, of course, and the map kept track of many pathways and things. But the most notable development of late was that the boundaries of the Pole had turned a menacing shade of black, as an Unknown lurked on the horizon in a voluminous, undulating darkness.

"We don't even know what it is!" Bernard threw up his hands. "It's been a month, and we've made no progress!"

"No, we don't," Santa admitted, quietly but firmly. "Which is yet another reason why we should convene the Council. This kind of thing usually doesn't just go away on its own; I think we've wasted far too long waiting for that to happen already. No, something needs to be done." He sighed. "And the way I look at it, the more loose ends we finish off we might just be more likely to make it go away."

Santa snatched up the letter again. "I need three Chaperones, one for each girl. Bernard is obviously getting one—"

"I have _work_ to do!" Bernard said, frusterated. "In case you've forgotten, I manage this place. I've got too much to do already, without having to drag some little girl around sightseeing."

"Which is why I'm giving you the eldest to deal with," Scott replied, pointedly level. "Ellington is seventeen, which is plenty old enough to behave herself. She won't need entertaining. Honestly Bernard, it'll be easier than you think. You'll have to make sure she doesn't post a bunch of photos online, but besides that teenagers are pretty self-maintaining. It should be smooth sailing after the first few days."

"This is a terrible mistake," Bernard gritted out, crossing his arms more tightly and clenching his jaw as if holding back a stream of arguments and possible insults.

Santa ignored him. "How do you feel, Curtis, about playing chaperone to our letter writer? Ten year old Annise?"

Curtis shifted in his seat. "Well, I'm...not very good around girls, but...I'll try. After all, asking for her father's health for Christmas is a very noble thing to do." His voice had gradually grown stronger and more excited. "Yeah, sure I'll do it. She seems like a nice little girl."

Santa smiled. "Good then. Now I've just got to find a chaperone for Dorothy, and we're set."

"Set for what?"

"Their arrival, of course!" With a few merry chuckles Scott got up from his desk, apparently very pleased with himself.

"I thought they were coming for the holidays, sir," Curtis asked, casting worried sideways glances at Bernard, who was now making strange strangled noises in this throat while trying not to burst out shouting.

"No, they're coming _now. Now_ is when the need has arisen, _now_ is when the Clause had revealed itself." After a pause he added, "They'll stay until Christmas, of course."

"That's _five months,"_ Bernard said, slowly.

"Yes, Bernard. It _is_ five months. Thanks for the help, but I can count on my own."

"How are you going to take them from their family—from their _sick unto death father_ –for _five months?!"_

"I have my ways," Scott said vaguely. Bernard rolled his eyes and huffed at this non-answer. "Now: in the meantime, I suggest you two start preparations for their arrival. They'll need rooms for sure, and clothes—it's much colder up here than in Hawaii and they won't exactly have time to pack. Get Abby to help you with that. I've spoken with Carol, and she's already agreed to help with getting them settled in. Hopefully they won't have trouble adjusting to the idea of living in the North Pole for a while, because that would definitely complicate things." With a sigh he rose, his chair creaking in relief. "I'm glad we've gotten this settled, guys. Thank you."

Bernard and Curtis had gotten to their feet before him, one decidedly more graceful than the other. Already a deep-set frown was set on Bernard's face, his mind retreating to a thoughtful, irritated place. "How long do we have?" he asked, his voice flat and unenthusiastic.

As much as Scott was aware of Bernard's usual sarcastic state of existence, he knew that his Head Elf had a soft spot for children. Normally, his stubborn behavior came from disagreeing with adults more than anything, so Santa was very much confused by the general lack of excitement—or even just resolve or preparedness—from Bernard's quarter. Already Curtis had squared his shoulders, a gleam of enthusiasm in his eye at the events ahead.

"About twelve hours," said Santa slowly, turning away from Bernard and trying to stuff down his worries. "There's a time difference between us and Hawaii. ELFS prefers nighttime pickups, if I remember correctly, so that will be around nine o'clock their time. And, since Seattle is three hours ahead of them, it'll be midnight there. I think that's the most workable time-frame."

"I'll let them know." Bernard began walking out of the room, eyes on the floor as he submerged into his own thought process. Thinking who knew what, Scott mused ruefully. Sometimes—no, _often_ he wished Bernard were more communicative. Times like these it would make things that much easier.

"They've already been told—Bernard!" The elf paused mid-stride and turned, eyebrows raised. "What is the matter with you? It's not normal to be this detached, even for _you._ What is going _on_?"

Bernard stared into a vacant space midair for a long moment, as if lost. Then his head snapped up, and he gave Santa a small, forced smile.

"Nothing, sir. I can personally assure you that all the necessary arrangements will be made." With a tight nod and a tighter pivot of his heel, Bernard left the room, eyes already back on the ground.

Santa and Curtis stood together in a stunned silence for a moment. "What was in his cocoa this morning?" Scott muttered eventually.

Curtis seemed genuinely taken aback. "I don't think it was his cocoa—he was fine before this," he told his boss. "Something about this whole situation has affected him, and I'm not sure I even want to know why." The blond elf looked vaguely horrified at the idea.

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Bernard's emotions that frightening?"

"No," Curtis replied with a shudder. "But when he gets into a bad mood, you and I both know that's another story."

* * *

 _Hello and welcome everyone to TEC:Reloaded! For those of you who read the original story,_ _ **The Emissary Clause,**_ _thanks for coming back. For those of you who are new to the story, I hope you enjoy it! If you're wondering why I've decided to republish this story, it's because there are a lot of things I don't like about the original that I never got around to fixing. I feel like my writing skills weren't up to par at the time and now that I've spent a great deal of time writing and interacting with other writers on tumblr, I felt I was more up to the challenge. Also, the general storyline and plot were very shaky in parts, I don't feel like I grasped the personality of my own OC well and SO MUCH of the story was just...cringy._

 _You may have noticed chapter 1 is pretty similar to the original. There are things in this version that will be the same as the first TEC, but there are a LOT more things that are different-and I like to think they're improvements. In short, this story might be better! It might be worse. It's a toss-up, really. I've been working on this rewrite for several months now and have the chapters up to chapter 19 completed, so we'll see how frequently I'm able to update! I'm aiming for every day, if possible._

 _I also owe a huge debt of gratitude (as usual) to SafyreSky (Dani) who I originally met almost three years ago now in this very category, BECAUSE of The Emissary Clause and especially her own stories. Even if I don't like my original story much I'm glad I wrote it because it meant I met and got to know an amazing writer and an even better friend. Thanks for putting up with my rambling and venting as I went through this rewrite, as well as feeding me headcanons and incredible ideas. (Also in case you were wondering at the title, it's what we've been calling it all this time and I couldn't think of a better one.)_

 _From now on I will be keeping my author's notes to a minimum except for my disclaimers so that you don't all have to deal with me (lol) but I ABSOLUTELY appreciate and enjoy reviews, so if you do feel like leaving one, I'd be very grateful. This has been a long project and it'd be pretty cool to know that someone else enjoys the end product too._

 _As always, thank you for reading my work and please enjoy the story!_

* * *

 **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**

 **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**


	2. Chapter 2

_2._

Bernard sighed, staring at the object on his desk with his fingers laced thoughtfully in front of him. It had taken every minute of twelve hours to prepare for the girls' arrival. By now the rooms were prepared, the necessary exceptions made and the elves briefed on _why_ they were having three human girls come to stay in the Workshop for over four months.

Not that stranger things hadn't happened before. After all, Santa's in-laws had come to visit several years in a row by now, and the elves seemed to almost like having the humans around. Luckily, neither Bud and Sylvia nor Scott's ex-wife Laura and her husband Neil with their daughter Lucy were expected North this year, giving a slight boon in the already overwhelming situation. Overwhelming for Bernard, anyway.

"The Emissary Clause is _very_ important," Bernard had said, wearing an upbeat expression he usually reserved for these type of speeches nowadays. "It ensures that the true Spirit of Christmas endures in the world. Over the next few months, we will have the chance to share what Christmas _really_ means with these three girls. So please, let's give them a warm welcome during their stay, okay? Okay, thank you everybody. Back to work, please."

Maybe this Clause was an innocent thing, really made to improve the lives of these girls and instill a fresh sense of Christmas Spirit in a world growing cold. But the timing, unfortunately, couldn't be worse. As he'd mentioned to Scott, there was a storm that had been plaguing the mountains around Elfsburg for months, making it unsafe to travel beyond the town limits. And if that wasn't stressful enough, there were his own _personal_ challenges.

Seventeen years ago Bernard had entered his office to find a small, red velvet box on his desk. At first, he'd thought it was Quentin trying to prank him again. Quentin was head of the Research and Development department, and more than that, a friend—one of a small, select few. So the box just seemed like a tart statement about Bernard's personal life…that is, until he noticed the golden _SC_ embossed onto its lid.

However, the box had been shut tightly, completely unable to open in spite of Bernard's efforts. So he'd stuffed it into one of his desk drawers, and gone to tell Quentin not to take it quite so far next time. The only thing was, Quentin had no idea what he was talking about. _Curtis_ had no idea what he was talking about, and no one else was able to just sneak into his office and leave things on his desk; it was for his private use _only_. For the first few months afterward he had taken it out from time to time, smoothing the red velvet and the golden filigree with the pads of his fingers, just wondering; _dreading. What did it mean? Where had it come from? Was it a gift, or a statement, or a warning?_ After a year he'd left it to acquire dust with a great deal of confusion and unanswered questions.

Then, sometime around a year and a half ago, the tiny box had somehow reappeared from the depths of his file drawer, sitting on his desk like a foreboding. This time when he put it away, it reappeared several hours later on his desktop. It kept happening: no matter where he moved it –even clear across the Workshop as a test once—it always came back to rest on his desk, next to the neatly stacked paperwork that routinely cycled out.

The funny thing was, no one mentioned the box on his desk. Clearly it was a ring box, but not Abby, nor Judy or Curtis or even Santa or Carol noticed it. Even Charlie hadn't mentioned or even looked at it when he'd come up for a quick post-Easter visit earlier that year, and he'd done some of his college homework on the desk (with Bernard's permission of course.) It was as if it was invisible to all but Bernard's eyes, or didn't exist at all.

And now the _Emissary Clause_ had at long last surfaced, as if another piece of the puzzle. It probably was and Bernard knew it, which was why he was _not_ looking forward to whenever those deadlocked pages revealed themselves. It was, of course, the only Clause not directly pertaining to Santa himself, which made it odd enough. Why was it a _Clause_ if it didn't have to do with getting out of anything? The idea didn't make any sense, and it concerned him. While Scott may have been more than happy to accommodate the newfound rule, Bernard was skeptical. Something wasn't adding up, and he had a nagging feeling he wasn't going to like finding out _what._

In the meanwhile, amidst all the bustle of preparations and the excitement of having guests, he found himself drawn again to the idea that this all felt like a part of a greater plan, and he was being moved around like a pawn. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, and it had begun to bother him so much that he'd gone off to clear his head for a few moments. That's what had brought him to his desk, staring at the object that he most wished he could get rid of. He'd tried throwing it in the fireplace, but it wouldn't burn and eventually replaced itself on his desk. Whatever was going on, he couldn't escape it, and that only made him more frustrated and ornery.

Eventually he'd been forced to leave the sanctuary of his office and rejoin the party, finding Santa and the rest of the welcome group in the stables. He'd tried to force a good mood for the sake of the situation but found himself coming up considerably lacking in the cheer department-which was a regrettable thing for an elf to have to admit. But fortunately he was soon distracted from his own problems by work, and _that_ was something to be grateful for.

To his surprise, Santa had asked his eldest son Charlie to stand in as Dorothy's chaperone. Charlie had agreed to this with ease, as he knew as much about the Pole as anybody could and certainly knew how to bring a skeptic around. It was a decision Bernard was comfortable with, actually, because Charlie was an adult and well equipped to handle a wayward Naughty Lister if he needed to-not to mention, he had experience with modern teenage girls from his younger sister Lucy. The elf almost envied that advantage, since no doubt he'd be hard pressed to control his own charge. He didn't exactly have high expectations of these children, to say the least.

The rest of the welcome group consisted of Mrs. Claus-who was determined to be there in spite of the early hour, Curtis-who _needed_ to be there, and Abby, one of the high tier cocoa elves. He had asked her to be there in case the girls had need of anything they hadn't thought of, so that she could pass the information onto the rest of the housekeeping staff if necessary.

Thankfully, the rest of the group seemed to make up for Bernard's lack of a good mood with their enthusiasm. Mrs. Claus was practically buzzing with excitement, locked in a cheerful conversation with her step-son. He was about to check and make sure that Santa was okay with the preparations they'd made when a short somebody came barreling into the room at full tilt, running smack into him.

"I'm here, I'm here! I'm not _late_ , am I-oof!" A shock of blond hair collided with Bernard's stomach face first, and the elf instinctively grabbed for the person in spite of his winded state. A moment later arms wound around his waist turning the accident into a hug, and Bernard found himself smiling regardless of his mood.

"Goof morfning, Bernarf," came a muffled greeting, and Bernard tousled the unruly head of hair with an involuntary grin.

"Morning, sport junior. It's a little early for you to be up, isn't it?"

Seven year old Buddy Claus looked up, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Well yeah, today's a Saturday and I should get to sleep in. But mom told me that some kids are coming to visit and I was so excited I could hardly sleep all night! I didn't miss them, did I?"

"Not by a long shot," Scott replied, coming up behind them. Buddy's attention immediately shifted and next moment he was hugging his father. "It's not every day we get kids up here, is it?"

"Only when cousin Lucy comes to visit, but that's only...once or twice a year?"

"Mhmm. Should be fun!"

"This is going to be lovely Scott," Mrs. Claus agreed, coming over and accepting the next giant hug. She smiled happily, kissing her son's head. "One of the girls at least is around Buddy's age, maybe they'll have some things in common!"

"Maybe she can come to to school with me," Buddy added, his eyes growing big at the thought. Buddy attended the Elfementary School where his mother taught, and the idea of having a classmate who was his own age was an exciting one.

"That's a great idea, if she wants to. You'll have to ask and find out." With his dad's approval Buddy nodded happily, content for the time being.

By now everyone had formed a sort of half circle awaiting news from Curtis, who was in direct contact with the ELFS team in surveillance. Abby was holding three small keys in her hands, smiling excitedly. It wasn't often anymore that she came to help in the Workshop, since a lot of her work was done with Judy at the Elfsburg Grille nowadays. It was even more rare for human children—especially _girls_ —to visit the Pole, with Scott's niece Lucy being the obvious exception.

"Are you ready?" Bernard asked Curtis, glancing at him sideways as he stood rigid, hands behind his back. He had gone out on a limb and let him have control of the coms, which wasn't a privilege he'd been afforded in a good few years.

"I hope so," Curtis replied, almost humbly for once. He looked up at his superior. "What about you?"

"What about me," Bernard replied stiffly, his eyes set expectantly ahead of him.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay with this? I mean, you haven't exactly been a ray of sunshine since Santa told us what was going on."

"I don't have a choice," Bernard replied, his jaw twitching slightly. "I'll either be okay with it, or add a little liquor to my cocoa at the end of the day and cope. Either way, the job gets done." He softened after a moment. "Besides, how bad can it be? Two out of three on the Nice List isn't half bad."

Curtis sighed worriedly. He had to admit, Bernard always made things work—but sometimes, he made it pretty hellish for everyone around him in the process.

* * *

Meanwhile, none of the Connelly sisters could have known what Annise's letter was bringing about.

Annise herself had almost let the letter fade from her mind, too focused on real life and the trials she and her family were facing. After all, the farm wouldn't run itself, and with their parents mainly stuck at the hospital, that burden fell to her and Ellington.

Granted, the girls did make a good team. Together, the daily chores were done with relative ease—considering that they were doing a lot of the jobs their father had done prior to his illness. The days passed in busy monotony. Annise had schoolwork and Ellington often helped her mother with her healthcare as her mother helped her father with his. Annise and her mother went grocery shopping, came home, and Ellington made dinner. The days blurred together in an unhappy, worried haze, and they all felt trapped by their unfortunate situation.

It seemed for a long period of time that nothing good happened. On one particular night that their father was exceptionally struggling with his health, Ellington and Annise were home alone. They had retreated to Ellington's room in strained silence, the older sister wishing she had something comforting to say to Annise. But given the overall condition of things, there just didn't seem to be any comfort left to give.

"He's being well taken care of," she offered, though it was only a small consolation. Annise nodded silently, crawling over the bed to pull their cat into her arms. "Mom too. You know how nice the hospital staff is."

"I know," Annise said quietly, staring at the wall in what appeared to be an effort not to cry. "Would it be okay if I…could I watch a movie?"

Ellington viewed her sister for a moment, heart aching. She knew that Annise didn't want to be hugged, or told things would be alright. They both knew at this point that things _weren't_ going to be alright. It was easier to bury themselves in something else, distract their minds for a while from all of the carnage around them. Ellington understood; she'd been doing _that_ for a long time. But she wished that she could make things happy again, like she'd used to do for Annise when they were younger. It seemed to Ellington that she just couldn't fix anything anymore—not anything that truly mattered.

"Sure," she replied, and gave her sister her laptop. With a faint smile of appreciation Annise put on a movie and her headphones, tuning out the world with other, more enjoyable noise. Ellington tried reading for a while, but a restless, dissatisfied feeling was keeping her from focusing. It was a truly bad thing when _The Lord of the Rings_ failed to keep her attention.

In frustration she rose from her bed with a sigh, waving in a reassuring way at Annise who had immediately looked concerned. 'Going outside' Ellington mouthed, pointing out the window. Annise nodded in understanding and went back to her film.

The stars as seen from rural Hawaii Island were beautiful, and one of her favorite things about living in the Aloha state—but Ellington missed the city. She missed Seattle and the bustle of cold mornings, the rush of going places early in the day before the rest of the world was up. In Hawaii there was no need for early mornings—not even in the country, and especially not on a farm as small as theirs. There was no rush to go anywhere, and sometimes the lack of excitement made her feel like she would go out of her mind with boredom.

Tonight was not one of those nights, though. Tonight she was outside, in the somewhat surprisingly chilly air, staring up at the brilliant blanket of tiny lights above her. There must have been a northern wind, blowing off of the rather early snow on Mauna Kea, she thought as she pulled her hoodie up over her head. But the Milky Way was visible as well, which made the scene well worth the slight chill.

As she watched the different constellations twinkle at her in the darkness, two bright red stars in the North sky caught her attention. They were fluctuating rapidly, and for a moment Ellington thought they were the lights on the wings of an airplane. Then she thought they were shooting stars, as she considered that they were actually moving too quickly to be an airplane.

She only really started panicking when they were almost directly above her, and appeared to be slowing down. Thought quite far up it was obvious that the lights were coming to an abrupt and unexplained halt. Ellington was just getting ready to bolt for the house when an unexpected sense of ease washed over her, as if there were nothing to be afraid of—or maybe, she considered, that her fears had been taken away.

She watched them descend, slowly hovering downward with a faintly mechanical whirr, only "they" weren't just lights. "They" were people—short people, but people nevertheless. And, Ellington noted, people that looked surprisingly _human._

It appeared to be a teenage girl and a slightly younger boy. It became apparent in the beam of Ellington's now glowing flashlight that they both wore strange green uniforms, with boots and some sort of strange apparatus covered sporadically with flashing lights strapped to their backs.

"Hello," said the girl, surprisingly calmly. She pressed a few buttons on a wristband and landed on the harsh ground that comprised the main yard. The boy mirrored her actions, landing beside her and giving a bit of a test jump.

"Interesting terrain," he commented, typing something into _his_ wristband as well. Then he fanned himself with his hat. "Geez it's hot here."

"Lava rocks," Ellington supplied, a bit hesitantly. "And it's fifty degrees."

"Exactly! How can you people stand this kind of heat?"

"'You people'? _You're_ the ones who just dropped out of the sky." She wondered why she didn't feel like running or yelling—after all, these two kids had just descended from the sky and were now talking to her. She had every right to be freaking out, but she wasn't. This was almost alarming on its own. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mackenzie," the girl told her, and gestured to her side. "And this is Kyle. Are you by any chance Ellington Connelly?"

Ellington didn't even consider replying falsely—or not replying at all, as would have been the obvious and sane choice. These people felt trustworthy, in spite of how crazy the situation was. "Well, I…yes. Yes, why do you ask?"

"Miss Connelly, Kyle and I have been sent to reply to a letter your sister sent to our employer," the girl—that is, Mackenzie explained.

"Your 'employer'," Ellington repeated skeptically. "Sounds shady. And who would that be?"

Mackenzie's response was baffling, not just in context but in the confidence and surety of her tone. "Santa Claus," she replied, not the slightest touch of humor in her voice. It was the gravity with which it was said that struck Ellington the most. For a joke it wasn't really that funny, but the straight faces? That _must_ have been difficult.

"Very funny," Ellington said, giving the girl a sideways look. "No really."

"No really yourself," Mackenzie retorted levelly. "I have the letter to prove it. Look." She took out a worn envelope from her inside jacket pocket and passed it to Ellington.

It really _was_ the letter.

Ellington stared at her younger sister's handwriting, baffled. "How did you get this?" she asked, face twisted in confusion. "Annise gave this to—"

"Doctor Calvin," Mackenzie finished, "who happens to be related to Santa."

"Oh? How?"

"He's his father."

Ellington laughed out loud. "Doctor Calvin, Santa Claus' father?" She paused, suddenly growing solemn and nodding as if in understanding. "Actually, I can believe that. He is a _really_ nice person. _Abnormally_ nice, and the weirdest thing is that it's genuine." She thought a moment, and then gazed at Mackenzie with wide eyes. "That look he had," she said, "that look he gave Annise when she asked him to mail the letter. He looked so…."

"Knowing?"

"Yeah," Ellington realized. "Like he had some sort of trick up his sleeve that was going to be spectacular."

"Well, he did," Kyle said, speaking up at long last. Mackenzie was obviously in charge, so perhaps it wasn't his job to speak as much as it was hers. "Your sister's letter has brought something to Santa's attention."

"Something important," Mackenzie continued, before Ellington could ask what. "Something Santa himself would like to tell you and your sister…" She looked around the yard, almost as if expecting Annise to pop out from somewhere. "Where is your sister?"

"Well she's not hiding behind the compost bins," Ellington said with a cynical laugh. "She's inside the house. But I don't see Santa here."

"He was unable to come," Kyle offered.

"What are you trying to say? He wants to tell us something but he isn't able to come to tell us, and you can't tell us...OH." Ellington drew back a little in realization. "Oh, you want us to _come with you?"_

"To the Pole, yes," Mackenzie said. "Santa's orders, under designation of the Emissary Clause."

"And what does this "Clause" have to do with me and my sister, exactly?"

"Sister _s._ Dorothy is invited too, apparently."

"Oh really? That's a shocker. I don't think she's believed in Santa since she was eight."

"Well, I didn't make the plans." Mackenzie gave her a firm look. "Besides, it's never too late for someone to make a turnaround."

"True, but she doesn't even _talk_ to us anymore. Have you considered she might _not_ want to see us?"

"That's really a question I should leave for the Big Guy to answer."

"So that's it then." Ellington looked deadpan. "You expect me to just say 'take me to your leader' with no questions asked?"

"That would be ideal, yeah."

"No dice. You just _jetpacked_ into my yard - you know what? I must be dreaming. This is just a really weird, outlandish dream and I'm going to wake up, _now._ Ow!" The 'ow' came from a hard pinch that did _not_ serve to wake Ellington up, since she was _quite_ awake.

Mackenzie and Kyle exchanged a look, and for the first time she noticed their pointed _ears._

"Is this some kind of horrible joke? I mean, I'll hand it to you, you put in the effort. Those ears are better than any cosplay stick-ons I've seen, and I've done my fair share of research."

"No, we're not joking, and the ears are real. They came with the job." Mackenzie nudged Kyle forward. "Kyle, show her your ears."

"What? No!" Kyle tugged his baseball cap down further over his ears, the ELFS shining in the flashlight's glow.

"Hey, don't stress it," Ellington said, waving off the obviously uncomfortable… _person. "_ Don't want to ruin the magic, or anything." She hesitated a long moment before throwing her hands up with a sigh. "Oh, what the hell," she laughed. " If this is a dream I'll wake up when it's over, and if it's not, then this is ridiculous enough to make for an incredible story. Or a creepy one. Best to keep my mind wide open."

Mackenzie looked surprised. "You'll come with us then?"

"Like I said, why not? I don't have anything better to do and today's been a bad enough day as it is. I'll go get Annise." Still chuckling slightly to herself, Ellington put her hands in her jacket pockets and crossed the yard, heading into the house to find her sister. "Don't go anywhere! Last thing I need is to look crazy and have you two disappear. I'll be right back."

"Well, that was unexpected." Mackenzie seemed taken aback by the sudden change of mind.

"Humans," Kyle said simply, as if this explained everything. Mackenzie nodded in agreement.

Ellington made her way up the stairs to their bedroom, wondering how to explain this whole thing to Annise. She stood in the doorway, speechless, as Annise looked up from her movie.

The younger girl took off her headphones immediately, looking up at her sister in alarm. "What's the matter, what's wrong. Did mom call…"

"No. NO!" Ellington shook her head vigorously. "No, um…well…"

"Are you okay?" Annise was gazing at her in confusion. "You look like you've seen something weird."

"Understatement," Ellington laughed, rubbing her face. "Aw man. I'm going to sound nuts, but there are two elves here to see us."

After a long pause, Annise frowned. "Ellington, that's not funny. Just because I wrote a letter to Santa doesn't mean you need to poke fun at me!" She crossed her arms, injured, as the cat looked startled, then curled up more tightly in her lap.

"No, Annise, that's not what I'm trying to do here. Look!" The letter was held up, its worn edges soft in Ellington's hands.

"Where did you get that?!" Annise snatched it, dumping the cat out of her lap in the process. "I gave this to Doctor Calvin."

"Who is apparently Santa's father," Ellington said matter-of-factly. "Yeah, I know. Don't look at me like I'm insane, I'm just repeating what the elves told me."

"What elves?" It was then that the beeping noises from the elves' packs became audible. Faint voices also crept in through the farm house's thin walls.

"What the…" Annise tensed. "Strangers? Ellington, we're not supposed to talk to strangers, come on!"

"They fell out of the sky! Or, levitated downwards, I dunno!"

"Seriously?"

It took her five more minutes of convincing and three more minutes of shutting down the house before the girls stepped outside. Ellington's slight fear that the "elves" would be gone was assuaged when she saw both Mackenzie and Kyle still standing in the yard, a few paces from the chicken coop in fact. They waved at her in the half light of what appeared to be headlamps.

"Annise Connelly?" Mackenzie asked, a small smile on her face. "Nice to meet you."

At once, Annise's eyes had gone wide as saucers. "Els, is this for real?" she asked quietly, grabbing onto her older sister's sleeve in a half panic.

"As far as I can tell," Ellington replied trying not to smile from the excitement that was beginning to take her. She reached into her pocket and gave the letter to Annise. "They came with this."

Annise stared at the envelope, then out at the newcomers. "Holy cow," she exclaimed, running down off of the steps before the front door. "They really _are_ elves!"

"Not the Middle-earth kind!" Ellington called after her, turning to lock the door while muttering, " _Unfortunately_ in my case _,_ because I have a _lot_ of questions about the relationship between Legolas and Gimli."

She was still excited though. And in a part of her mind that was pleasantly subconscious (and could probably therefore be trusted) she even started to think that maybe, just maybe, this was a way of things "looking up".

But then, she really didn't want to test her luck just yet. Sure, a pair of elves from the North Pole _had_ just jetpacked their way to Hawaii to pick up two random girls and probably some others to their sister in Seattle, but that could mean anything, right? Better to be hesitantly reserved about the whole thing, since apparently, Santa had some sort of business-y need of them. But what did that mean, exactly?

Ellington didn't know. Mackenzie took out two blinking devices and gave one to each girl, telling them to put it in their pockets as it would allow them to fly as well. "It's an added precaution, since we're flying over the ocean," she explained. "Normally we wouldn't need them."

Ellington nodded mutely, slightly horrified at the thought of flying unprotected over the Pacific Ocean for an extended period of time. Annise looked positively giddy though, which wasn't something that had happened in a long time. For that at least she was grateful.

With a lurch the group lifted off from the ground, Annise squealing slightly in surprise. The dogs sleeping in the yard didn't even look up, as if unable to even sense the presence of the elves, or what was happening before them.

They lifted up through the clear dark sky, the stars seeming to draw closer to them. Ellington tried to convince herself she was sleeping to avoid panicking. Whatever was going on, she figured, she was about to find out.

* * *

It was a surprisingly short ride to the North Pole. Once they had ascended over the cloud cover (where the temperature dipped considerably, much to Kyle's relief), they were really flying.

The entire trip seemed to only take about forty five minutes. Then the clouds thinned out, and Ellington could just see, in the light of the moon, the ice and cold looking ocean. And then it started to snow. Ellington, who was only wearing a sweatshirt and some jeans, was a little surprised that she wasn't freezing, but figured it was by some magic of the elves. Elves had magic, right? The snow felt soft and rather tickled, but it blew off of her so quickly that she hardly had time to feel anything at all.

Before long Mackenzie slowed their speed dramatically and pressed a glowing red and white button on her wristlet. Far below, a red and white glow responded. Mackenzie swerved and dipped, pulling Ellington down with her. Kyle and Annise weren't far behind.

When they had nearly reached the surface, Mackenzie reversed her jet pack. Hovering several yards above the ice, Ellington could now see that the red and white glowing object was the North Pole itself, easily distinguishable even in the poor light of the arctic.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it though, as Mackenzie soon pointed downward, where the ice was breaking open, floating downwards in the shape of a circle. Warmth floated up from below the ice. And as the circle disappeared, they went down after it.

As they descended through the ice, the first thing Ellington noticed was how warm it was. She had expected it to be colder, given the obviously arctic climate and the fact that outside _above_ the ground they were currently in the middle of polar night. But inside the dome it was a bright, brilliant blue, apparently midday or somewhere thereabout.

"Welcome to Elfsburg," Mackenzie told her, as they closed in on the town below. "It's 5:52 am North Pole Time, temperature 27 degrees Fahrenheit, slight wind from the southeast, light flurries on the outskirts of town." All of this information she seemed to have received from her wristband.

"It's beautiful," Ellington murmured, coughing as they flew through a particularly thick and chilly cloudbank.

"Are you seeing this?" Annise called over to her. She was grinning like mad, blonde hair whipping out of her braid and fluttering frantically in the wind. She also had her arms out at her sides like one of the Darling children from _Peter Pan._ Kyle appeared to have let go of her hand, and was looking rather impressed as he flew next to and a little behind her.

"Is that safe?!" Ellington almost yelped at Mackenzie. Annise was actually laughing now, as they all ducked down closer to the town. But Mackenzie was smiling too, a genuine smile.

"She's got enough faith to carry us all safely, I think. Let alone herself." Seeing Ellington's confused and uncomfortable expression she clarified. "Annise believes, Miss Connelly. And here at the Pole, that's actually enough to make a child fly—with elf supervision, of course."

Ellington looked over at her sister's happiness and felt something inside of her glowing. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't even notice Mackenzie had dropped her own hand—and then, they were landing.

"Aim for that balcony, about halfway up that main building with the dome," Mackenzie instructed. Ellington only nodded silently, watching as Annise and Kyle landed first. They came to a halt by slowing down considerably, then thrusting feet first down towards the ground. It seemed a good way to do things (they weren't crashing,) so Ellington resolved to do the same.

Thirty seconds later she too was standing at the end of the balcony, ornate railings leading into what appeared to be some sort of stable. Annise was shaking hands with a boy around her own age, dressed in striped trousers with a kerchief around his neck. His glasses were slipping down his nose, and he pushed them up with his spare hand as he blushed furiously—almost _painfully_ red. Annise was too busy being thrilled with everything to notice.

Behind Annise and the boy there stood a small group of people in a semi-circle. Of course the first people to stand out were those decked in bright red: Santa, and Mrs. Claus. They looked surprisingly young, Ellington mused, but then, who knew how much of what humans knew about them was true anyway. There was also a little boy, who looked to be around Annise's age, hanging by his mother's side. He seemed very excited, but a little hesitant all the same. He seemed like a nice kid, which only made sense given where they were.

There were also two young men next to Mrs. Claus, both with dark hair and brown eyes. She didn't have time to find her bearings any more as Mackenzie had landed by now and was impatiently ushering her forwards.

Ellington felt oddly self-conscious, though, it probably didn't help that she was in a very new, supposedly very fictional place. She looked around at the others with wide eyes, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets again to avoid fidgeting. All of their clothes were so beautiful—with the exception of one of the boys, who was dressed like your average college student. It didn't really make her feel any better though, because she was embarrassed of her worn clothing and battered boots, embarrassed of the fact that she probably looked like hell warmed over from her "flight". Embarrassed of herself, and her story. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Glad to see you two arrived in one piece," Santa said humorously, which earned a slightly disdainful look from Mackenzie. He shook Ellington's hand gently, smiling kindly. "Scott Calvin—but you might know me as Santa Claus. This is my wife, Carol." Mrs. Claus came up beside him, shaking Ellington's hand in turn. "And this kiddo here is our youngest, Buddy."

"Pleased to meet you," the woman said. There was a kind gleam in her eye, and a rosy blush on her cheek. It occurred to Ellington in a fit of despondent realization that it had been a long time since her mother had looked so happy, but she forced a smile onto her face regardless. The boy nodded, offering up a hand to her. She reached out and shook it carefully, surprised at how confident of a grip the kid had.

"I'll bet we're all going to be good friends," he said certainly, and despite her nervousness Ellington couldn't help but grin.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" She gave the boy a wink and he grinned back at her, instantly becoming more comfortable. "It's lovely to meet you too, Buddy. And you, Mrs. Claus." She looked over at Santa, and found him addressing Annise, her sister's eyes bright with hope. Maybe this wasn't as suspicious as she'd thought it was, after all.

"I'm Annise, sir. Thank you for answering my letter. It's very nice to meet you."

"It's _very_ nice to meet you too, Annise," Santa replied, giving her a calming, reassuring smile. "I bet it was a bit much, the elves showing up like that to pick you up. I wanted to come and get you myself, but it's August and that's just too darn early for sleigh sightings."

"It _was_ a bit unbelievable," Annise admitted with a shy giggle.

He took her hand in both of his. "Annise, I know your family is having trouble with your dad's condition," he told her seriously. "But I want you to know that I have my best people on it, my friends. Together, we're going to see what we can do for your father. I'm sure we'll be able to come up with _something,_ okay?"

Annise nodded, her expression one of sobriety and hope at the same time. "Thank you. Thank you _very_ much, sir."

Ellington watched on with relief, arms crossed almost protectively over her chest. A smile rested on her lips, as she was genuinely amazed and impressed that her sister had somehow made this happen.

"Excuse me," said a voice to her right, and Ellington's attention shifted over to Charlie. "But you wouldn't happen to be Dorothy, would you?"

Ellington's smile dropped a notch. "No, sorry. She'll be here soon, I hope."

"So you must be—"

"Ellington," she finished, crossing her arms a little more tightly. Her general body language was stressed and protective. Her smile didn't drop though. It wasn't that she was trying to be unfriendly; she was just a little overwhelmed. "And you are?"

"Charlie. Charlie Calvin. I'm Buddy's big brother," he said with a little smile and shrug, and Ellington saw the clear sign of a proud older sibling. She couldn't help but smile at the kid, who was now talking animatedly with Abby.

Ellington connected the dots and finally pieced together who everyone was. "Oh…oh wow! Nice to meet you," she said to him, Charlie's grin spreading a little wider as she shook his hand. "He seems like a nice kid, must be a real blast to hang out with."

"He is. Though, growing up up here doesn't exactly give him a lot of friends his age. Elves, yes. Kids? Not so much. He's really excited about you all." Charlie took a look at her worried body language and gave her shoulder a little nudge. "I know this place seems…pretty overwhelming at first," he told her kindly. "But it's also really amazing. Don't let it make you feel out of place. You'll fit in in no time." He really genuinely wanted them to have fun and enjoy their stay, not spend it worrying—even considering their situation.

Ellington chuckled. "What gave it away?" she asked wryly, and crossed her arms again. But her expression was slightly more relaxed, somehow.

"Besides the fact you look as tense as Bernard the week before Christmas? Probably nothing but intuition," Charlie said with a laugh. He looked over at the elf, trying to catch his attention. "Hey, Bernard? This is Ellington."

"Good," was all Bernard said, observing her only briefly before turning back to watch the interaction between Santa and Annise in silence. Ellington's stomach dropped a little, a bit of her former discomfort coming back to her, but she smiled small at Charlie and tried to hide it.

Charlie looked confused. "Sorry, he's not usually like that." He didn't understand why Bernard was being so cold.

"No worries," Ellington murmured. "Probably just 'tense', right?" She merely turned her eyes back to Santa as he was explaining to Annise the concept of a 'chaperone', writing Bernard off without a second thought. He seemed like a bit of a jerk, frankly.

"So you see, Curtis will be the one to show you around and keep an eye on you during your stay," Scott told the girl. "Charlie will be your sister Dorothy's chaperone, and Bernard will look out for Ellington. Since Curtis and Bernard have work to do you two will need to stick with them any time you want to sightsee, but it'll be interesting to see how the Workshop functions. I'm sure they'll do an excellent job showing you both around."

"And when you're not with Bernard and Curtis, you can always hang out with me!" Buddy suggested. He and Annise seemed to have been introduced by then, his expression even more exuberant. "I go to school in town with the elves, so I'm there most afternoons. You should come sometime, it'd be swell! You know. For school and all. Mom's a fun teacher."

"That sounds nice," Annise admitted with a giggle, his enthusiasm catching. A vaguely confused expression crossed her face, and then she asked the question that had come to Ellington's mind as well. "But how long are we supposed to be here, exactly?"

"I thought the elves told you, before you agreed to come here." Santa looked to Mackenzie, who shrugged uncomfortably and withdrew from the Stable with Kyle hard on her heels.

"They told me you would tell us," Ellington replied, beginning to feel alarmed again. Why was Santa dancing around this? Was this the catch she'd been afraid of?

"Well that complicates things a little." Scott scratched worriedly at his beard before continuing. "Allow me to explain, as simply as I can. I'll need to talk with my fellow Legendary Figures, and it may take some time to get them together all in one place. They all have their own independent duties, you see, and since none of us exclusively have power over Life and Death it will take us some time to figure out the best mode of action. Until then, we'd like to open up our home to you girls, here at the Pole."

"What?" Annise asked breathlessly, stars in her eyes.

"We've taken the liberty of preparing some rooms for you," Mrs. Claus told them, a knowing gleam in her eyes. "I think you'll find them quite comfortable, if you decide to stay."

"Sorry to butt in," Ellington said abruptly, a bit perplexed, "and please don't think I'm ungrateful, but our parents think we're at home. They're in the _hospital_ right now, they need to know that we're safe."

"You can call them anytime you like, of course! We're not trying to isolate you, by any means. Family is the most important thing," Scott agreed, looking around at his own family fondly.

"How long is this for, exactly? It sounds like you're planning on keeping us overnight."

"Most kids would _want_ to spend the night at Santa's Workshop in the North Pole," Bernard muttered. Ellington turned to frown at him.

"I'm sorry, is there something you'd like to say?" She asked directly, clearly not willing to play games about the matter. When he didn't reply, she went on with conviction. "In case you weren't aware, I'm the one holding down the fort while my father is"—she edged around the word— "out of commission. If I don't take care of my responsibilities, I'm making things even more difficult on my parents, which they _can't_ afford. I'm not being difficult, I'm being practical."

"Hey." Ellington looked down to find her sister looking up, expression reassuring. "It's okay, Els." Annise's voice was calming and kind. "We're here to see if they can do anything for dad, remember? If this is how we need to do things to make that happen, then we _are_ helping. Just in a different way."

Ellington nodded hesitantly, before nodding and forcing a smile back onto her face. She squeezed Annise's hand in response. "That's a good point, kid." She sighed remorsefully before addressing the others. "I'm sorry for snapping, it was late where we're from and it was already a hard day before any of this happened. Not to mention, we weren't exactly expecting this. We really do appreciate everything, it's just… a _lot_ more than we were bargaining for."

"I'm sure it's quite a lot to take in," Carol agreed, with a sympathetic nod. "Even this place being _real_ is mind blowing—it certainly was for me, when I first came here. If you need time to adjust, we'll understand."

"I can see there's more to all of this than I realized," Scott said, stroking his beard. "I'm going to call my Dad, he's at home but he's got a shift in the morning. We'll see what we can come up with, as far as cover stories go."

"I'll do some thinking too," Ellington announced with a nod, much to the surprise of the others. "I know my parents, I know what they'll believe and not believe. If I think of anything, I'll tell you. The main thing is to find a way to keep my parents reassured that we're safe, and to find someone to take care of the livestock while we're away."

"Do you have any neighbors?"

"Not ones that know how to run farms. Not for miles. We're kind of trendsetters, you might say. We could fly back every day if we need to, but I'm not sure how much of an inconvenience that is for you…"

"I can send some of the stable crew to keep an eye on things," Bernard said, finally speaking up. "But wait, are you saying that you two are _willing_ to stay?"

"Well three of us when Dottie gets here, and I'm not entirely sure it's going to work. But yes. If helping our father is on the table, we'll stay as long as we need to—or as long as we can, at any rate." Ellington looked at Bernard, then away, as if already avoiding him.

"I'm Bernard," said Bernard with an acknowledging nod. He knew it was a little late to pretend to be cordial, but it was really the soonest he could force himself to do it.

"I know," Ellington replied with a slight nod. She didn't turn her attention back to him.

"I'm your chaperone?"

"I gathered."

Bernard rolled his eyes, about to catch her by the elbow and try to start over when Annise sneezed loudly.

"Oh I'd entirely forgotten," said Carol, jumping into action. "You aren't used to this cold, are you? And it's so chilly in the mornings." Buddy ran over before his mother made it, shucking off his sweater and putting it around Annise's shoulders.

"Any better?" He asked. "Uncle Neil gave me that sweater, it's super comfy and warm."

"Thanks," Annise replied, sounding surprised as she looked at the rather outlandish garment. "It's neat." She smiled, but ended up sneezing again.

Mrs. Claus offered a hand to the younger girl, and Ellington was shocked to find that she wasn't alarmed at the idea of her sister being so close to a stranger. These people all felt so nice and welcoming—well, with the exception of the tallest elf, but Bernard seemed to be an exception to the cheerful mood. "If you'd like," Carol explained, "Abby and I will show you to your rooms so you can at least get into some warmer clothes while we sort the rest of the details out."

"What about Dorothy?" asked Charlie. "Wasn't she supposed to be here around the same time? Maybe we should be worried. It's not like ELFS to be late."

Scott frowned. "Is there any reason they might be having a hard time finding her?"

Before Curtis could say anything, Ellington chimed in. "Dottie does bounce around a lot, it's possible she's spending the night with some other part of her family."

"As a matter of fact, I've just got a message saying she wasn't at her mom's house. I guess we'll have to try again tomorrow?" Curtis suggested, tucking the tablet under his arm.

Ellington nodded, a small amount of relief flooding over her. At least she had a little longer to prepare for that reunion. She wasn't sure she was ready to see Dorothy again, at _all._

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_  
 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_3._

"This is _amazing,_ " said Ellington, truly awestruck as she took in her new home away from home. Her room was papered in dark green and trimmed in dark wood, with stained glass windows set in deep hues of red, green, blue and purple. It was through this window that she was looking, noticing that there there was a stone balcony connected to her room that overlooked a wide courtyard below. Or was it a town square? It could have been both, for all she knew. She didn't know how big the town was.

"I haven't seen so much snow since…" She trailed off, grateful when Annise popped in the room before Carol could ask her to finish her sentence.

"Can you believe it's already morning here? We had hardly gone to bed at home! I saw a bunch of flying reindeer out of my window, too! It was awesome!"

"I think I could believe just about anything right now," Ellington replied distantly, staring at the mountains in the distance. She wondered why those heavy storm clouds didn't appear to be moving any closer. Perhaps they were always there, but she thought they looked a little too ominous for the cheerful Christmas atmosphere.

Carol sat down on the bed, patting for Annise to sit next to her. "Yes, well, the reindeer training team usually gets started pretty early in the morning, as do most of the elves. All of Elfsburg will be bustling within the next half hour."

"Elfsburg?" Ellington asked.

"Uh huh. You see, the Pole is situated on top of an enormous iceberg, so I guess you could call it a pun, if you like. I think Bernard had something to do with it."

"I see." Ellington traced the wood of the windowsill thoughtfully. "Carol, why is Bernard my chaperone? I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but it doesn't take Sherlock to deduce that he sees it as _babysitting_." She scowled faintly, not enough for anyone to notice. She was really hoping he'd just keep his distance.

Carol shrugged. "I'm really not sure. Scott didn't tell me, but he seemed very adamant that he be one of the chaperones. You could ask Bernard, maybe he knows. Then again, he seems to be in a bit of a bad mood lately—even before he found out you were coming for a visit. It's possible his behavior and your presence are actually unrelated."

"Maybe." Ellington figured that any conversation she had with Bernard would be strictly as needed. Whatever Carol said, Bernard was definitely standoffish, and she knew how to take a hint—especially now that Carol had confirmed her suspicion: it hadn't been his choice.

She would waste as little time with Bernard as possible. Anyway, she was in no mood to try and get people to warm up to her. It mattered to keep in mind that she was only at the Pole because her father was dying, and Santa had taken it upon himself to help her family-out of the goodness of his heart perhaps, or for some other unclear reason.

The more she was able to remember that, she figured, the better off she would be.

Abby quickly returned with what seemed to be highly caffeinated cocoa, and after downing it neither of the girls felt unbearably sleepy anymore-a boon, considering the jet lag they might have had otherwise. Besides, the excitement was enough to keep them awake. Afterward, they went and got dressed in new clothes. Annise chose a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with some converse shoes—clothes she was comfortable in. She apparently had had a wide selection of jeans and shirts to choose from, and had even found a snowcoat she liked among the clothes.

Ellington, on the other hand, went into the closet and found a graphic tee, a button up, and a cardigan, all of which she layered. Then she threw on a pair of black jeans, a pair of combat boots and a beanie, eventually locating a sort of military jacket that worked with the look. She emerged from her closet feeling a little more confident than she had before, grateful for the warmer layers.

Carol took Annise to meet with Curtis, and offered to take Ellington to Bernard as well. But Ellington declined, preferring to wander about a bit on her own before being subjected to Bernard's likely irritation and grousing. Not that she phrased it that way, of course. She merely suggested she would "find Bernard on her own, thank you."

Stepping out of the Workshop, Ellington immediately realized how impossible it would be to blend in. She was a great deal taller than most elves at five foot six, dressed in muted tones of grey, black and green, and if that wasn't enough, she had a _tan,_ something that was unheard of that far North. A few of the elves stopped and smiled at her, and Ellington smiled back, pulling her jacket warmly around herself to keep out the chill. And _boy,_ she _did_ feel the chill. Mrs. Claus was right, the tropical to polar weather change was no small thing.

Despite how out of her element she felt, the atmosphere was welcoming. Ellington figured that that was a part of the Christmas spirit that permeated the entire town. But somehow, something felt…off. She attributed it to her fluttery stomach and pushed the thought from her mind.

Elfsburg was charming to say the least, but it was difficult to tell where the Workshop ended and the town began-there were so many outlying buildings. However, in spite of her initial assumption that giving herself a tour would be practically impossible, Ellington found that most buildings were labeled, so she could easily tell what was what. And, of course, there were many street signs that directed her in every direction possible, making her self guided tour that much easier.

So Ellington was occupied for a good two and a half hours, enjoying the decorations and ornate architecture of the town. Each building seemed to have been designed with Christmas in mind—which she realized, was rather obvious. She noticed that, among many of the more common festive motifs, they relied heavily on swirls and rich colors. Ellington, who had a fondness for intricacies, was delighted to find that almost everything, for the streetlamps to the paving stones, had a special pattern or signature embossed onto their surfaces.

It wasn't snowing, but the ground was dusted with snow all the same. Either by merit of the cold or some kind of magic, it stayed dusty and didn't stick to the bottom of Ellington's boots like snow usually had in Washington. She'd forgotten how much she missed the cold, the snow. It was a refreshing change of pace from the muggy, hot Hawaiian weather she was accustomed to.

She stopped on a corner to look across at some young girl elves playing together in the snow. Not for the first time since her arrival, Ellington thought about her sisters. Annise, she knew, was her best friend. But Dottie, far away on the mainland, lived a life entirely different from theirs. The three sisters weren't close like they used to be. Dottie had pulled away from them long before their father got sick, and as Ellington had told Mackenzie and Kyle, she didn't even talk to them anymore. It was an awkward, distant situation at best, and deafening silence at its worst. This was part of the reason Ellington was so concerned about seeing her face to face for the first time in three years. She had told the truth; she genuinely didn't think Dottie would _want_ to see them.

She was drawn out of her dismal thoughts by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Ahem."

With a slight jump Ellington turned to see Bernard, dressed warmly in a coat and scarf in addition to his beret. He was holding two steaming drinks. "Took me a while to find you."

"Oh." Her voice flat, Ellington struggled to bring her head back from the dark place it had been going. "I guess I stayed out longer than I realized."

"What led you way out here?" Bernard was a little puzzled why she wouldn't want to explore the workshop instead. That was what most kids would have gone for…but then, she was closer to an adult than a child.

"Curiosity?" Ellington shrugged, looking up at the sky. "I miss the cold, to be honest. I needed to clear my head and…I didn't want to be in anyone's way." It was unspoken but clear just who she meant by 'anyone'.

Bernard looked at the drinks in his hands with a surprising pang of guilt in his stomach. "I didn't say you were in my way," he began tentatively.

"Well I didn't specify _who,_ but I'm glad to see you're clear on the subject." Ellington turned her gaze down to him, her expression blank and tired. "I didn't really need you to tell me. Your silence earlier practically screamed that you don't want anything to do with me. And that's fine! _Really._ I understand this whole 'chaperone' thing is probably a huge burden for you. I just don't need to feel like more of a thorn in everyone's side than I already do, okay? So let's not make it personal and just agree to go our separate ways." She sighed and looked over the surrounding buildings. "Sorry you had to come looking for me."

"It wasn't a problem. Look, I—"

Ellington scoffed. "Don't lie, it only makes it worse." She scuffed the snow with one booted foot, hands thrust deep into her pockets.

Bernard watched her for a minute, trying to figure out if she was just stressed out, upset, or downright depressed. He gave up after a moment and followed after her as she walked on. She was pretending to look at things in the shop windows. "I think we're really getting off on the wrong foot here."

"Oh really? _I_ thought we were well on our way to becoming best friends."

 _Great, a mouthy one._ "Very funny. Now, sorry to ruin your walk about town, but I was sent to come and get you. I've got a _lot_ to deal with today, you and your sisters aside, so if you could just follow me—"

"And what if I don't?" Ellington narrowed her eyes, assessing him. She felt exceptionally resistant all of a sudden, unwilling to put them both through such a struggle for nothing. "Would we really get in trouble for just leaving each other well enough alone? I'm sure you're a busy guy, and I don't need to cramp your style…frankly, with all of this going on and so much to think about, I wouldn't _mind_ being left to myself."

Bernard's mind flashed back to Annise's letter. _My sister Ellington is scared, but she doesn't say so. Ellington doesn't like to be afraid of anything. She's seventeen and really smart. She would be in college by now if Daddy wasn't sick all this time. She needs a friend, cause she doesn't really have any, besides me. I think that she needs a friend, someone to talk to. If you could help her, it would mean a lot to us both._

Sometimes that memory of his was actually more of a pain than a help.

" _Thanks,_ " Bernard replied. "It's nice to know that you _realize_ how I feel."

Ellington frowned mid sip of cocoa. "Wasn't exactly talking about you, pal, but nice dose of narcissism. Must go well with that winning personality."

Bernard glared. "You're got a real smart mouth, you know that?"

She shrugged passively, clearly unfazed. "Takes one to know one, doesn't it?"

"I was _trying_ to find common ground." Bernard said with a tired grimace. He was beginning to think he had been right about her being a real headache after all.

"Yeah, because an elf and a teenage millennial have _so_ much in common."

"As the more mature of the two of us, I was merely suggesting we try to get along rather than find reasons to hate each other." He looked at her for a long moment before going on. "I know that this is really bad timing all around. But truth be told, it's _never_ a good time for me to be sociable outside of work, because that's what I do: I work. A _lot._ A few people have argued more than I should, but hey; I figure, if I've been at it like this for sixteen hundred years and it hasn't killed me, why should I stop?" _Why_ in the name of Christmas was he _telling her all this?_ Bernard was used to speaking his mind, but not about personal things.

"You're sixteen _hundred_ years old?" Elle repeated, eyebrows lifting in surprise.

"Sixteen hundred and eighty six, actually."

She nodded slowly, appreciatively. "Impressive. It was hard enough for me to make it to seventeen."

"Thanks. But my point is…" Bernard stopped midsentence. "Wait. What did you just say?"

"I said, 'Impressive. It was hard enough for me to make it to seventeen.' Honestly, did I stutter?"

Seventeen. Why did that matter, exactly?

Bernard shook his head, shaking off the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. "No. Nothing. Never mind, pretend I didn't say anything."

Ellington gave him a long, puzzled sideways look. "Consider it done."

"My point was…you know what? We'll talk about it later. As it happens I _am_ late now. Come on, time to go. If you really have a problem with me, you can take it up with Santa. Until then, _yes:_ we _are_ stuck with each other. And good luck with convincing him this is a bad idea, because god knows he hasn't listened to me about it."

Irritated, yet not in the mood to challenge him openly again because it would probably cause a scene, Ellington followed after Bernard in a charged silence. Sometime later, walking down a seemingly endless street, she shored up her reserve and decided to _actually_ apologize. Rude though she often was, she could never hold out long before feeling plain old awful about whatever she'd said.

This time, though, apologizing seemed to be even harder than usual. All she could manage was, "I'm…sorry. For the way I acted back there. I'm burning on a short fuse lately, and I know it's not exactly pleasant to be around."

Bernard looked at her out of the corners of his eyes. Ellington's gaze was fixed on her drink. He decided to answer, instead of pretending not to have heard like he normally would. "Yeah, I didn't exactly try to be welcoming when you arrived, either. You were right, I made it sound more like I'd rather you left then stayed."

"Well, at least you were being honest."

"Doesn't make it okay." Ellington's stomach clenched. So there it was then. "And it's not entirely true, either. Like I explained, it's _always_ a bad time for me to have extra tasks—and I'm not exactly the life of the party, even on a good day."

"Regardless, me being snippy and making an ass of myself by giving you the cold shoulder doesn't exactly help. It's a miracle that you're all helping us as it is. I should be grateful, not difficult. It's just...I guess when I'm this stressed, it's a bit hard to keep that in mind."

"I can understand that better than most," the elf agreed, pausing a moment to actually pass her the drink he'd meant to give her. She looked startled before accepting it with a quiet thanks, and his mind went back to what she'd said earlier that morning. "Is it true what you said about having to look after your family's farm all by yourself? That's an awful lot of responsibility for someone your age."

"Not really," Ellington replied with a soft shrug. "It's just a routine, you get used to it. In all honesty, I don't feel like I'm doing _enough._ The way things are just makes me feel so _powerless,_ you know? Like no matter how hard I try, it's never enough to actually help _."_ She sighed. "By all rights I should be at the hospital with my mom, assisting her in any way I can. But instead, I'm just sitting at home feeding chickens. And it's _more_ frustrating because even if I _was_ there, I don't think I'd be much use either."

He stopped walking to look at her. "You're too hard on yourself. Your father's health and what's happening to your family because of it is out of your control. You shouldn't feel guilty because you can't fix it."

Bernard was still looking at her, deciding something for himself. He could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she was refusing to cry. Annise was right: Ellington _was_ afraid.

"Is it wrong for me to wish I could?" She asked, and after a moment he shook his head.

"Of course not."

Ellington moved her eyes quickly to the ground, eyes pricking painfully. She pursed her lips and looked away, inhaling sharply. "Sorry. Sorry, I didn't mean to...I shouldn't have said anything. Forget I brought this up, I'm only making you more late." Trying to walk around him, she felt him snap the sleeve of her coat again.

"Hey." His voice had changed, was somehow kinder. It struck a nerve and made her want to cry even more. "It's okay to share how you're feeling."

"Yeah, not with the guy who would rather not be here right now."

Bernard sighed in irritation—mainly, irritation that he _wasn't_ irritated anymore. "I don't _mind_ —"

Ellington rolled her eyes, looking worn out. "Look buddy, I don't want your sympathy. I get the feeling that I'm going to have nearly drowned in compassion by the time I end up going home, so please. Don't strain yourself." She shook her head and looked at him sideways. "Besides, I've had enough false sympathy, or pity, or whatever you want to call it over the past year to last me a _lifetime."_

"Then I won't pity you, or sympathize," Bernard replied simply, not looking too bothered by her statement at all. "But I think we could both benefit by having someone to commiserate with."

"?"

Bernard shrugged…or maybe he was re-adjusting his coat. "Since we're already stuck with each other for now, we might as well make the best of it, right? I don't mind having someone to talk to, if you don't."

The girl eyed him skeptically. "You're just saying that so I don't feel bad about wasting your time, aren't you?" Based on the direction of the street Bernard chose Ellington guessed that they were headed back to the workshop.

"No, that's _not_ it. You read into things too much."

"And you make a lot of definite statements for someone who's known me for all of ten minutes, but I wasn't calling you out."

Bernard tried again. "What I'm trying to say is, I wasn't resenting _you,_ I was just resenting the _situation._ And since the situation isn't going to change, I might as well actually try to enjoy it rather than make it hellish."

"You sure you wanna go through the hassle?"

He shrugged. "I'm willing if you are."

"Well, I suppose we could try," Ellington replied, turning her attention to the snow covered ground. "But I can't promise it'll work. I'm not exactly the most personable, even on a good day."

"But that really you, though?" Bernard asked, after a thoughtful pause. "Or is that just the situation you're in?"

"Honestly? I'm not even sure I know anymore."

"Well then." Bernard tilted his cup towards hers. "Here's to finding out."

Tentatively, Ellington brought her cup to tap against his. Who knew how well this was going to go, with both of their sharp tongues and clashing wits. More than likely it would end catastrophically, but why not take the risk? She'd already made a big enough leap of faith today, what was one more? "To finding out."

* * *

Meanwhile, Curtis was busy showing Annise around the Workshop.

Annise was quiet, walking with him with wide eyes as she took in all the amazing sights around her. She wasn't exactly talkative, but she was definitely appreciative. It was actually a perfect match, because Curtis loved to explain everything, and Annise was more than willing to listen.

"You okay?" Curtis eventually asked, stopping his torrent of demonstrations and excited chatter to look at Annise's face.

Annise nodded, letting out a little sigh along with a smile. "Yeah, it's just…a lot to take in." She looked around at the bustling floor, eyes bright. "I mean, yesterday I didn't even think this place existed, let alone understand how _big_ it is."

"It is big, isn't it?" Curtis looked around thoughtfully. "You kinda lose sight of that after a while." His attention eventually shifted back to Annise. "So, are you hungry? I know of a great little café in Elfsburg."

"Okay," Annise said, looking up with a sparkle in her eye. "Hey, could I maybe go see the reindeer when we get back?"

"Sure. Maybe you can even take a ride on Chet." Curtis took her hand again, smiling for a moment before frowning. "Well, maybe not Chet. He's making leaps and bounds in his training but he's still not the best for joyrides. Maybe Dancer, instead-but never mind that for now. Come on. If we hurry, we can beat the break time rush."

This wasn't as hard as he'd expected, to be honest. Annise was a really easy girl to get along with, and his initial blushing, fumbling manner had worn off quickly—especially since she seemed to be eager to put him at ease. He wondered if that was something she learned from being around her older sister. She certainly seemed to know how to calm Ellington down.

They almost ran into Bernard and Ellington at the front doors. Bernard was tugging them open just as they got there, and Annise almost crashed into her sister.

"Hey senpai," Ellington said, a genuine smile breaking out across her face. Annise was bear hugging her sister a moment later.

"Senpai! Have you seen this place yet?" Annise asked, even though Curtis was behind her back mouthing 'senpai' in confusion.

"Not yet," Ellington admitted, glancing around the bustling workshop briefly. "Sure looks impressive though."

"It is. Maybe if Bernard has time he can show you around."

"Not sure Bernard's got the schedule for that right now, kiddo. But I will as soon as I get a chance," said Ellington with a smile. "Where are you two headed?"

"Out for lunch I think, and then Curtis says I can see the reindeer."

"Great. I'll catch up with you later then, okay?" Ellington hugged her sister once more and let her out the door, Curtis following after her with a slightly awkward smile. She watched them go until they made it off the staircase.

"Funny." Ellington turned to look at Bernard, unsure what he meant by that. He was wearing a crooked little smile. "For a second there I could have sworn you actually looked happy."

Ellington flushed pink, ducking her head slightly to hide her smile. "Shut up. Of course I was happy, I was with my sister."

Bernard reached a hand up and patted her on the shoulder. "See? I think I was right."

"Oh? About what?"

He looked almost triumphant. "That it's your situation making you sad and antisocial."

"Oh, _thanks._ "

He let his hand drop and grinned, actually _grinned_ as he shook his head ruefully. "Don't take it like that. It's a good thing."

"Really."

"Yeah. It means things can get better." This made Ellington stop and stare a second. When he put it like that… "Makes it seem simple, doesn't it?" He didn't seem fazed by her startled look.

"Yeah," Ellington broke into a smaller smile, almost hopeful. "It does."

Bernard tugged her by the sleeve once more. "And I actually _do_ have time to show you around the workshop. That's kinda why I came to get you, so I can multitask and give you the grand tour while I make my rounds. Mind tagging along?"

"As long as you don't mind," Ellington replied, still hesitant to intrude.

"Not a bit." And from the look on his face, Bernard actually meant it.

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	4. Chapter 4

_4._

It was mildly surprising to everyone how Bernard's attitude towards his chaperoning duties changed after that first afternoon.

Make no mistake, he wasn't thrilled about having to slow his schedule down a tad and keep his focus in two places most of the time, but it wasn't nearly as bad as he'd expected. Sure, maybe Ellington was a bit glum at times, but she was quiet and when she wasn't, she was intelligent and even funny. Besides, her sadness and tension was easily explainable; and it seemed the longer she was away from home, the better her mood grew-especially once they sorted the matter of her parents.

After quite the brainstorming session Santa and Ellington had come up with the idea to send Mr. and Mrs. Connelly some elves posing as some sort of charity organization, who were helping the girls during "their time of need." Given how stressed and tired they were, Phillip and Josette were too grateful to put too much thought into the strangely short social workers and their promises that the girls were safe. Ellington did the rest, talking to them over the phone and taking care of any concerns they had. After that, her mood had lightened considerably, because she didn't have to worry about them worrying about _her._ From then on out she was able to truly enjoy her stay in the Workshop.

Bernard didn't like to admit it (and he wouldn't have if you had asked him) but he didn't mind having someone with him who was interested in what he was doing, and not showing him up. Curtis could wear on anyone after a while, so having a change of face was nice. Not to mention, the girl seemed to be distracting him from his own problems—when she was actually with him.

Because another thing Ellington was very good about was entertaining herself. She seemed to be quite fascinated with how things worked, how the toys were made and the other gifts as well.

And so, a week into the girl's stay, Bernard found it surprising that he _enjoyed_ her company.

What was so bad about that?

What was so bad about that, he reminded himself, was that it was distracting him from his work. He should be focusing on maintaining quotas, not holding a mental debate with himself on whether it was okay for him to like Ellington.

Yes, "like" Ellington. No more, no less. It wasn't an obligation to feel anything more. So why did he feel so stressed about it?

"Ugh." Bernard groaned. His mind was playing games with him, and he was losing.

"Illogical," he said out loud. That was it. Illogical.

"I thought you were an elf, not a Vulcan."

Surprised that he'd been overheard, Bernard turned around to face the voice.

Ellington wore a mildly amused expression as she sipped at a cup of something hot. "I mean, you do have the ears. Straighten those curls into some bangs and I just might believe it."

"So you know a thing or two about Star Trek, hmm?" Bernard commented, still keeping his focus mostly on the list he was double checking.

"A bit. My dad got me into it last year," Ellington replied, her tone softening. Bernard looked over to find her expression had dropped a little.

"Probably could pass for a Vulcan."

Ellington looked up in confusion. "What's that?"

"I said, I probably could pass for a Vulcan," Bernard said good naturedly. "You know, _if_ I did something pretty eccentric with my eyebrows."

Ellington's smirk grew a little, a fond twinkle in her eye as she looked at the clipboard in his hand. "What are you doing? Crossword?"

That garnered a sideways look. "Really."

"Oh c'mon, don't even try to tell me that you're not that old," Ellington quietly said with a slight sideways nudge, and in spite of himself Bernard found he was smiling.

"Not for an elf," he replied, and Ellington looked mildly interested before deciding not to pursue an answer. She peered slightly over his shoulder, curious as to what was so confusing.

"What's going on here?" Bernard couldn't help but peer at her reaction to the numbers, finding her brow furrowed and her eyes locked on the page.

"Eh, something isn't adding up, but I think I've been looking at it too long. Can't seem to pinpoint it." For a few seconds he forgot he was supposed to be solving the chart himself, until she gave him another subtle nudge. "Hmm?"

"Row three," she said, pointing at the line in questions. "Looks like a seven, it's actually a one."

"Oh? I doubt it's that simple." His eyes went back to the sheet, following her finger to the number in question and quickly recalculating the column in his mind. "On second thought..." He changed the number with a reluctant tilt of his head and a small smile. "I think you got it."

"Glad to help," Elle said with a brighter smile than she normally gave, before realizing how close she was standing and taking a step back. "I'm gonna go see what's going on over here," she said slightly awkwardly, beating a retreat to where some ice skates were being laced and readied for packaging. Bernard only smiled crookedly and shook his head at her antics.

Santa was with Curtis, checking out some toys that were giving the elves on the production floor a bit of trouble. Seeing Bernard coming towards them wearing an almost peaceful expression, Scott raised an eyebrow. "Well someone's in a half decent mood," he muttered to Curtis, who looked over equally surprised.

"Good morning, Bernard?" he asked, seeming slightly amused.

"Pretty good, yeah." Bernard almost looked happy for a moment before clearing his throat. "Considering it's a Monday and all, that is."

"Right, of course."

"Here are the charts you asked for," the head elf replied nonchalantly, passing them to Scott.

"All sorted out?"

"Of course."

"Any trouble?"

"A little. But I had some help." Scott followed Bernard's gaze to Ellington, noting the elf's sideways smirk. Ellington had moved on from the skates, standing beside an elf who seemed to be having trouble with some sort of wiring assembly.

"She's not giving you too much grief, is she?" Scott asked, sounding slightly entertained.

"Not at all. I really don't know why I was so stressed about it before, she's actually more of a help than a hindrance." Bernard turned his attention to what Curtis was trying to fix.

"From what Curtis had told me, Annise is just as well mannered. Charlie says Dorothy is still stuck in the denial phase, but he's going to show her some of the more magical places around Elfsburg this afternoon. Maybe that'll help convince her," Scott said with a little laugh. Dorothy had arrived in the late half of the week, and was taking awhile to come around to the fact that she really _was_ at the North Pole.

"Yeah, well. All of this can be a bit much for people nowadays. Seems like some kind of hologram show or something. Hopefully she'll come around."

"You don't seem too worried about it."

"What can I say, they're good kids. And even if Dorothy is on the Naughty List, no one is more equipped to help her overcome that than Charlie." Bernard sighed and snatched something from Curtis, turning it several times before setting it back in its slot. The toy rocket sprang to life, Curtis making an impressed noise. "Have you heard from the council yet? Is everybody still on for this evening?"

"Mother Nature called earlier, said everyone should be here around six," Scott replied, moving down the row a ways to pick a color of ribbon for a particular type of doll. "Of course, Jack didn't call her back so his showing up is a bit up in the air—"

"Not that I have a problem with that," Bernard muttered, and Scott groaned.

"Bernard, I thought we'd agreed to leave that in the past."

"I'm just saying, the last time we had new guests here he stirred up a great deal of trouble. It's only natural that I'm a little wary." From across the workshop a small round of excited cheering rose. Scott and Bernard looked over to find Ellington blushing, patting the elf on the shoulder in a way that clearly meant she was putting credit onto him. The elves seemed to be praising the both of them though, which led Bernard to think that Ellington maybe really did have a knack for fixing things after all.

"Huh. She sure seems to be adjusting well," Scott commented, watching the look on Bernard's face and musing on how he almost seemed…affectionate? "And you seem to be in a good mood whenever she's around."

"What can I say? She grows on you," Bernard said, breaking into a smile as she waved at them happily, allowing another elf to lead her by the hand over to the dollhouses.

* * *

It had been Bernard's idea not to tell the girls that the council was assembling that night to discuss the matter of their father's life. He had managed to convince Scott that making them stress all evening over whether or not the Legendaries could find an immediate solution wasn't exactly fair to any of them. In fact, an outright distraction might be in order.

"I don't know if Annise and I having a 'family dinner' with Dottie is such a good idea," Ellington had told him, frowning and scuffing her boot against the straw strewn floor the stables. It wasn't the first time he'd brought the idea up in a roundabout way, but each time she seemed to shut down and become very unsure and quiet. At this point, he hated seeing her that way—and he hated being the cause of it even more.

"Why not? I thought that seeing Dorothy here is the first time in years for you and Annise," Bernard asked patiently, opening the gate to join her and hand her a brush. He had finally found time in his schedule to take a short break to teach Ellington how to properly groom a reindeer. "Don't you want to spend time together, make use of the opportunity?"

Ellington sighed, scratching behind Dancer's ears thoughtfully. "If that were the case, don't you think we would have made an effort to do that sometime during the week we've been here?" she pointed out, looking away awkwardly.

"I take it the three of you aren't on the best of terms, then," Bernard said, and Ellington's stomach sank.

"That's putting it lightly." She slipped her hand into the strap of the brush, still keeping her eyes downcast. "When we moved away it was to save my mom's life—the cold climate was really harsh on her health, you know? But in spite of the truth, Dottie seemed set on taking the move personally, like we were leaving her behind. It wasn't our fault that her mother has custody, and doesn't like to let her visit much." She sighed, staring at the brush absently as though caught in the memory.

Before she could fall too deep into the train of thought however, she was pulled out of her mind by the feeling of Bernard's hand over hers. She looked up in surprise to find him guiding her hand, trailing the brush over the reindeer's coat in smooth, sure strokes. "Well," he said, as though his standing so very close behind her were perfectly normal. Was it? All Ellington knew was that her cheeks suddenly felt very warm. "You can't really change how she's been feeling about it. But now that you're actually together again face to face, maybe you can show her that just because you moved away doesn't mean she stopped being a part of your family."

Ellington nodded softly, not complaining when she'd already gotten the hang of the rhythm and Bernard didn't pull his hand away. "I just don't know if she'll be willing to listen," she admitted.

"If you don't try, you'll never know." Somehow, Ellington felt calmed by his words. "And she _is_ your sister. She may be upset, but you're family—and I think deep down she knows that you and Annise are only kids. _If_ she wants to blame anyone, it's your parents."

"The last thing we need is her blaming them right now," Ellington pointed out, but it wasn't as worried as she'd sounded before. "I don't know. I know dad's cancer has been hard on her too. Maybe you're right. Maybe we just need to find a way to move past everything that's happened."

"It's a start," Bernard agreed. It only then occurred to him that for the greater part of two minutes, Ellington had been fully capable of managing the brush on her own. He was also quite aware of the fact that she seemed perfectly content almost holding hands with him. Upon closer inspection, he found her cheeks dusted pink, and the idea that he'd flustered her made him smirk just a little. "Think you've got a hang of this?"

"Just about," Ellington said quietly, and the fact that her tone sounded vaguely reluctant only made his smile grow a little more. A moment later she turned to look at him, her cheeks darkening a bit and her eyes dropping shyly as she found him already with his gaze on her. "It's kind of relaxing, isn't it?" Dancer made a happy little noise, their nose still buried in their feed bucket. Ellington smiled, her eyes on the reindeer and therefore entirely missing the fond smile on Bernard's face. Even Bernard wasn't fully aware he was making it, too distracted by the fact that when Ellington was happy, she seemed to light up the room.

He finally let her hand go, moving to the other side of the stall to work on the other side of Dancer's coat. Maybe Scott was right, that he really was happier when Ellington was around. He _was_ happier since they'd come to terms with each other than he'd been in quite a while. Were they friends? Was that too far of a reach? He wasn't sure, but he knew he enjoyed making her lighten up in whatever way he could. It didn't even feel like a burden, which was surprising.

But after a moment his train of thought returned to what he'd been trying to sort out, and he started up the conversation again. "Do you think," he began carefully, "that tonight would work? For the dinner, that is. I can have everything arranged. I know it's kinda short notice, but—"

"No, you're right," Ellington agreed abruptly, looking up with a thoughtful expression. "It's one of those things where the sooner we deal with it, the better. I mean, it'll only get more awkward if we keep avoiding each other."

"Tonight it is then. Six sound alright?"

Ellington hesitated before sighing and giving a little shrug. "Why not?" She smiled and stopped brushing, taking the strap from her hand. She was still anxious and worried about actually facing Dottie when the last few times she had had been quite confrontational, but she didn't need to tell Bernard that. She could already feel a headache coming on just from the thought of how badly the night could end. Regardless of how willing she seemed in front of the elf, she was far from sure that things wouldn't end terribly. "Is it okay if I split? After all, Annise will need some convincing, and I should probably take a shower. I'll need all the time I can get."

"Of course." Bernard felt a pang of disappointment, but tried not to think about it.

"Thanks." Ellington slipped her foot into the wood of the gate and quickly climbed over it, landing on her feet on the other side with a slight thud. "And Bernard?" She added, causing the elf's expression to grow more attentive. "Thank you for taking time to show me the reindeer, and for the talk. I know how busy you are, and…well. It means a lot." She gave him a smile and went off without waiting for an answer, leaving Bernard smiling softly in her wake. _She really is a good kid,_ Bernard thought to himself, an unfamiliar warmth in his chest.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of one of the stable elves snickering softly. Bernard frowned in confusion, unsure what was laughable about the situation. "Something funny, Eustace?" he asked, the elf stopping with the wheelbarrow of straw he was moving. He grinned and pushed his engineer's cap up, a grin on his lips.

"Oh nothing, sir. I was just finding it a little funny how comfortable you seem around miss Ellington. Almost, familiar?" By the suggestive lift of his eyebrow it was clear what he was trying to point out.

"I was teaching her how to groom a reindeer," Bernard said, his voice lifting an octave as he defended his actions. "Standing on the other side of the stall wouldn't have helped me much, now would it?"

"I don't expect it would," the elf agreed with a nod. "And you've always seemed like a hands-on kinda guy. But it occurs to me that Ellington lives on a farm, and from the reports my elves have given me on the livestock they have, well. She already knows how to groom an animal." He chuckled again. "Then again, she didn't exactly seem to be complaining. That's all." Seeing Bernard was startled and a little taken aback by his words, Eustace continued on with his activities, leaving the head elf to sort out how he felt about that information.

After a moment, Bernard scowled. Why _was_ he so comfortable around Ellington? Why _did_ he find her so endearing? He made a mental note to not make that kind of mistake again. After all, she was only seventeen. He really shouldn't be misreading any kind of interaction between them. "How much do I have to pay them not to be so nosy?" he said to himself, Dancer murmuring in agreement. "You understand, don't you? Reindeer are _so_ much better than people sometimes." He gave her coat a few more strokes before giving her head a pat and teleporting off in a shimmer of gold sparks. He had plenty to do to prepare for the council meeting.

* * *

Six o' clock rolled around, finding Ellington and Annise dressed up nicely and ready for dinner with Dottie. Both girls were apprehensive, but Ellington was doing all she could to keep Annise from getting too anxious. In spite of having had a rather nasty headache most of the evening, Ellington was trying to stay positive. If all three of them could get along, it would make things a lot less awkward for everyone involved. So far Santa and Mrs. Claus had seemed a bit bewildered by their hesitance to be around their sister, and Ellington suspected that sentiment had something to do with Bernard orchestrating this dinner for them. She just hoped that it wouldn't be a letdown for everyone involved.

"Do you think she's mad at us? For not calling more, for not being able to afford to fly her out?" Annise asked as the girls made their way through the halls of the main workshop, passing busy elves left and right. Ellington frowned and shook her head, feeling a static sort of buzzing in and around her ears.

"If she is, that isn't something we can help," The older sister replied, squeezing Annise's hand reassuringly. "All we can try to do at this point is leave the past behind us, and move forward. After all, we're here so we can help dad. Even if she's mad at him, she still loves him. We have that in common."

"Ellington!" The conversation was cut short by the sound of running feet, a small voice rising over the noise. Both girls turned to find an elf chasing after them, one Ellington recognized from the day before.

"Hey Archie, what's up?" Ellington gave an easy smile, even though her head was killing her. Seeing that Annise looked interested, she decided to introduce the two. "Annise, this is Archie. He plans the music that plays here in the workshop and manages the radio station that broadcasts throughout all of Elfsburg. Archie, this is my sister Annise."

"It's a real pleasure," Archie replied, smiling and shaking the hand Annise had eagerly held out. He was still a little winded from trying to catch up to them. "Sorry to interrupt wherever you two were going, but I was wondering if you were still going to be available this evening to show me the music you brought with you? And that site you promised to show me?"

Ellington grimaced slightly. "Yikes, Archie, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about that, and Bernard arranged for us to have dinner with our sister Dottie. Can we try again, maybe tomorrow? Or whenever you have time, I know you're a busy guy."

Archie made a dismissive noise, waving a hand with a grin. "Please, I can always make time for you. Besides, I don't always get an opportunity to get my hands on new music. I'll take a raincheck! Feel free to swing by my office any time you'd like—or you know, any time that you're not busy with Bernard." He made off back in the direction he'd come, apparently not dispirited in the least. "And good luck to both of you with dinner! I hope you have a good night."

"Thanks, I think we're gonna need it. And you too!" Ellington called in reply, turning back onto the path she and Annise had been setting for the town square. The comment about Bernard had struck her funny for some reason. She didn't spend that much time around Bernard, did she? On second thought, she rather did.

"Seems like a nice elf," Annise commented, and Ellington nodded as she held the door open.

"Aren't they all? I'm not sure, but I doubt they'd be allowed to work here if they were mean. But anyway yeah, Archie's pretty cool." The sisters tramped outside, snow lightly falling on them and their breath steaming as they made their way downtown. "I forgot to ask you yesterday, how is Curtis treating you as a chaperone? Last time I saw you seemed to be getting along alright." Small talk wasn't doing much for Ellington's ever growing migraine, but it did help pass the time and keep the topic away from Dottie.

"Curtis is fun, actually," Annise admitted with a slight shrug. "He can be a bit uptight at times but for the most part, he really goes out of his way to keep me entertained. I almost feel a bit guilty sometimes, for taking up his time. He's pretty busy inventing stuff most days, from what I've seen."

"Well that's R and D for ya." Ellington pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. The address for the restaurant was written across it in Bernard's distinctive handwriting, and Ellington found herself spacing off and admiring the script before focusing and turning her feet in the right direction. "Okay, just two blocks this way."

"Good, it's freezing out here," Annise said with a little shiver, rubbing her arms over her coat.

Ellington eyed her mischievously. "It bothers you? The cold, I mean."

"Just a bit. Considering where are and where we live it's not that surprising," Annise replied defensively, making her older sister chuckle and nudge her playfully.

"I was only teasing." Not five minutes later they were stepping into the warm foyer of the restaurant, where the staff seemed to be expecting them. Annise and Ellington were too distracted to take in the surroundings though, suddenly struck by the reality of the situation. Beyond a set of double doors, their sister was waiting for them, and neither of them knew how she would react.

"Right this way," the waitress said cheerfully, the bells on her shoes jangling brightly, but she seemed slightly on edge, as though she'd been put under warning that things might not go well. At least Ellington hoped Bernard had warned them. She didn't want to surprise these elves with the rather twisted elements of the Connelly family dynamic.

"Thank you." Ellington tugged nervously at the sleeve of her blouse nervously before offering Annise her hand and following behind. Her headache was still raging, to the point of making her eyes water slightly, and she wished she'd thought to ask for some aspirin or something before she'd left the workshop. Oh well, there wasn't any help for it now.

The girls went into the room, surprised and yet not so to find that it was a private room, and that Dottie sat alone at the far end of the table. She was sitting sideways with her legs across the arm of the chair, face furrowed thoughtfully as she scrolled through her phone. There wasn't any food on the table yet, only glasses of water and silverware and napkins at each place, so apparently they had arrived in perfect timing and she hadn't been waiting long. She looked over and immediately perked up when she noticed the Annise and Ellington, her eyes going wide.

"I wasn't sure you two would show up," she said, sounding slightly surprised and yet nonplussed. Ellington wasn't exactly sure because of how blurry her eyes were at the moment, but she thought that there was quite a bit of defensive cynicism in her sister's eyes.

"Why would we invite you here and then not show up?" Ellington replied with a shrug and a sigh, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table. Annise looked back and forth between both of her older siblings before taking a seat partway down the table, almost evenly between the both of them but just slightly closer to Ellington. Clearly she was trying to be a mediator in case things took a turn for the worst.

"Dunno. Sometimes you don't have a good reason," Dottie said offhandedly, examining her nails.

Ellington rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat and already feeling tired. "Can we save the subtext please? I know you've got _plenty_ of resentment built up but I'd like to at least _try_ and have this be a nice evening for the three of us," she said, shooting Annise a reassuring look. Annise smiled thinly, clearly still trying to keep up her spirits. She turned to Dottie, giving her a genuine smile.

"I was worried _you_ might not be here, Dot. I'm glad you didn't back out," she said softly, and even Dottie had to stop glaring at Ellington to sigh and give a slightly more relaxed shrug.

"Well I didn't have any other plans, exactly. Charlie is busy with his dad tonight or something so I would have just been holed up in my room. Not that that would've been bad, the rooms here are amazing and the wifi _is_ ridiculously fast." Dottie fell silent as a waiter brought the first course in, all of the girls sitting in a tense silence that seemed to spook the staff a little.

They remained silent through their bowls of soup, almost as if they were all afraid of picking the wrong thing to say. Ellington was the least hungry, leaving a good half of her bowl behind simply because of her migraine induced nausea.

"You and Charlie getting along alright?" Annise asked Dottie, mimicking the question Ellington had asked her minutes before. Ellington was sitting silently, her elbow on the armrest as she rested her cheek on one hand and subtly rubbed at her aching temple.

"Yeah. I'll admit the whole chaperone thing is a little bit better because he's not some grumpy old adult who's constantly bossing me around. It's actually been pretty fun, generally—if not a little unbelievable."

"Unbelievable?" Ellington repeated, opening her eyes. She wasn't sure when she'd closed them, but she suspected it was around the same point that her ears had begun ringing again.

"Yeah, _unbelievable_. We're at the freaking North Pole, if you haven't been too busy falling asleep to notice!" Dottie snapped back. Ellington scowled, then quickly stopped when she realized it only served to make her headache worse. Dottie's expression grew sly. "I heard you got stuck with the crotchety Head Elf. How's that panning out for you? Is that the reason you look so worn out, or am I really that boring to you after all this time?"

"Dottie!" Annise said reproachfully, trying to calm both of her sisters down before things got nasty.

"For goodness sake Dot, it's been a year and a half. Not a decade," Ellington retorted sharply. "We all love you just as much as we did when we moved away, but you just insist on being bitter over something Annise and I couldn't control!" Dottie leaned back in surprise at Ellington's outburst, noting how all the glasses on the table were shaking. Ellington gritted her teeth and lifted her eyebrows, trying to relax her eyes and ease what was by now a crushing headache. "I don't know why I'm feeling like this, but I'm still trying to pull through and make this decent so could you just _stop_ trying to push my buttons—"

Dottie looked down at her soup, an unreadable expression on her face. 'Well excuse me if no one has time to deal with the real problems before we pretend to be okay.'

"Enough!" Ellington stood up, glaring daggers down the table at her sister. Before she knew what was happening, her steak knife was stuck in the top of Dottie's chair, and all three of the water glasses were smashed against the wall behind her. The blonde haired girl was hunched down almost into her dinner in an effort to avoid all of the projectiles, while Annise had let out a frightened yell and was now plastered to the back of her chair, leaning as much out of the way as she was able. Ellington blinked, her eyes growing fuzzy again. She hadn't thrown that knife or the glasses, how had they…

"What the _hell, Ellington!?_ " Dottie yelled at her, her face red with rage. "You go from peaceful pushover to murderous crazy person in two seconds flat now? Get yourself together! And how did you..."

But Ellington wasn't listening, too busy clutching at her head. Her eyes were screwed shut in pain, the ringing in her ears overpowering until it seemed to clear. She fell back into her seat, eyes wide as the sound of hundreds of people speaking filled her ears.

"Els?" Annise asked fearfully. 'Is she okay?' Ellington didn't understand why she'd phrased it like that until she looked over at Dottie and realized neither of their mouths were moving, yet she could hear Dottie's voice.

'Has she gone completely mental on us? What the hell is going on?'

She was hearing their thoughts—and by the noise in her head, everyone else's for a good few miles too. Her vision was going black as she began to realize that there were elves on either side of her chair now, calling to each other and thinking frenetic, worried thoughts about _what was wrong with the poor human girl?_ And a recurring idea to find someone called Dr. Hismus.

With these final confusing thoughts overpowering her senses, Ellington went out in a cold faint.

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	5. Chapter 5

_5._

When Ellington came to, she wasn't in the restaurant anymore. She wasn't in her room either, or any other recognizable place she'd been in Elfsburg so far. Her eyes felt too heavy and her head felt the same, and it took a great deal of effort to move either. But eventually her eyes opened and she found herself in some sort of hospital, but it seemed like she was one of the only patients. She supposed that the elves must not get sick very often, but then quickly decided to stop thinking when she realized that it was too difficult for her to think straight without making her head throb.

She let out a groan, trying to sit up because it felt a little difficult to breathe. But no sooner had she begun to move that there was a hand on her shoulder, guiding her back down. When she opened her eyes again she was surprised to find worried brown ones looking back.

"Bernard?" she asked confusedly, her voice a bit hoarse from lack of use. "Wha…where am I? What happened, why am I—"

Bernard quickly shushed her, watching her with the level of concern one might give to a lit fuse, if not with a bit more sympathy. "You shouldn't be up right now, Ellington. Doctor Hismus and Mother Nature haven't fully discussed what's going on with you, and we don't know what triggered your…" He fell silent a moment before continuing carefully. "…incident. Until we do you should stay resting as much as possible."

"What incident?" Ellington asked, still perturbed and too scatterbrained to truly take heed of Bernard's warnings. Bernard sighed tiredly, running a hand over his face. "What did I do?"

"Well, what do you remember?" the elf asked, sitting down again and scooting his chair closer to her bed. He seemed to genuinely want an answer, so Ellington thought back to what blurry confused memories she had of earlier that evening.

"I don't know, we…we were having dinner like we were supposed to…my head was still killing me and Dottie was being absolutely _dense_ but that wasn't too surprising—"

"Wait a second, back up. Your head was hurting you?" Bernard asked. Ellington nodded, then grimaced slightly.

"It has been all afternoon and still is, honestly. But I was trying to just ignore it because I was so busy trying to make the evening go well and then…" She fell silent, looking down at her hands on her lap.

"Then?"

"Then I don't know what happened," Ellington finished, sounding tense and defensive. From what she remembered, she'd tried to hurt Dottie? That just _couldn't_ be right. She might have been angry with her sister, but she would _never_ try to physically harm her. Her temples ached at the very thought.

"Are you sure?" Bernard asked, not sounding particularly suspicious, but Ellington felt attacked nonetheless—a fact that the heart monitor beside her bed quickly confirmed.

"Yes!" Ellington snapped, and no sooner had she spoken that the glass on the side table shattered. She jumped, her pulse fluttering staccato as she recoiled from that side of the room. "I—I didn't do that—I didn't mean to—" Her headache sprung back to life at a dull roar, the subtle yet overwhelming noise of hundreds of voices making her clutch at her head. She curled in on herself, whimpering in pain. She thought she heard Bernard yell for someone, but she wasn't paying enough attention to be sure—at least, not until she felt fingers grip around her wrists, trying to pull her hands away from her ears.

' _It's okay! Elle, it's okay. Just relax,'_ was the first thing that made its way through the mad jumble of thoughts crowding her brain, and all of a sudden the other voices didn't seem so loud. She opened her eyes and found that the room was now bustling with elf nurses and several rather outlandishly dressed people crowded in at the doorway. But Bernard was the first thing she saw yet again, his attention fully fixed on her face.

' _Can you hear me?'_ he asked, his mouth not moving an inch. Ellington hesitated a long moment before nodding slowly, tears streaking down her cheeks. Bernard's eyes widened and he turned to say something to the people at the door. The woman of the group nodded, speaking to the elf Ellington could tell was Hismus. Somewhere in the jumble she caught the word 'telepathy' and she almost began to struggle again, but then Bernard cut in once more. ' _Hey…focus on me. Ignore the noise—and I know it's noisy, don't worry. Doctor Hismus is going to give you something to stabilize everything going on in your head.'_

Ellington shook her head, terrified of what that could mean. Were they going to sedate her? Why was it so hard to think with all the static in her mind? Most of her questions had obvious answers, but she wasn't in any place to form a straight thought, let alone a whole train of them. All she could do was try to focus on what Bernard was thinking at her while ignoring the somewhat painful burn of whatever the doctor was injecting her with.

' _What is wrong with me?'_ was the only thought of her own she had bouncing around her head, and she thought it was kept only to herself until she saw Bernard's face shift into surprise again.

' _Nothing is wrong with you,'_ he assured her, and this time it was Ellington's turn to be surprised.

' _You can hear me?!'_ when Ellington thought at him, noting his slight cringe. She unwittingly mirrored the expression as Hismus pulled the syringe from her arm and put a bit of gauze and red and white striped medical tape over the injection site.

"That may make you a little loopy," Hismus admitted, watching her with concern with his glasses perched low on his nose. Ellington barely heard him as she rubbed at the sore spot it left behind, hardly noticing the diminishing torrent of background noise.

' _Yikes. You don't have to yell—or, well, think at me so hard. You seem to be doing a good enough job getting through without that,'_ Bernard replied, still eerily silent even though his voice was as clear as a bell in her mind. ' _It seems like you're developing some kind of telepathy—quite strong, by the looks of things. We're trying to figure out why exactly, but for now, it's a matter of keeping the thoughts of others out of your mind. Well, except for the ones you want there.'_

Ellington nodded slowly, still holding onto the sound of his voice like a lifeline in the ocean of thoughts and emotions she was currently experiencing. It was fading though, all of the other sound, while Bernard alone stayed clear. She wondered if her focusing on him really was helping somehow, or if it was just the medication doing its job. ' _Telepathy? Like mind reading, or…what exactly?'_

' _Based on what you're exhibiting, it seemed like a bit more than just mind reading Elle,'_ Bernard replied, glancing at the people in the doorway and saying something to Scott that she didn't try to read in on. For some reason, she was focused on what he'd said. Not the part about mind reading, but calling her Elle. There it was again. She rather liked the nickname, coming from him. It made them feel just a little more familiar.

' _Why Elle?'_

' _Hmm?'_ Bernard turned back to look at her with a vaguely confused expression.

' _You called me Elle, just now. You've been doing it for a while now, but I never brought it up. Was it an accident, or...?'_

The corners of Bernard's mouth tilted upwards, the faintest additional tinge of pink staining his cheeks as he gave a little shrug. ' _I dunno, it just kind of slipped out. I guess you could say it felt right, somehow…and hey, while Ellington's a good name, it is a bit of a mouthful.'_

Ellington couldn't help but giggle at that, a slight hiccup dampening the noise. It seemed that the medication was beginning to hit her system by now, and she was more relaxed and almost dopy. Bernard smiled a little wider at her expression and the cute flush across the bridge of her nose. Apparently, he'd struck a chord somehow.

' _Yeah, well. "Bernard" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either,'_ Ellington retorted softly, the both of them breaking down into quiet yet audible laughter. It was only when Ellington suddenly became aware of how attractive he was with happiness dancing in his eyes that she realized that all the voices in her head other than his were gone. Her mind was as still as a graveyard.

"Is she alright?" For the first time, Ellington became truly aware of the other people present in the room. They all gave off a rather important air, which Ellington got the distinct feeling she noticed more than she usually might.

Bernard followed her gaze, giving a little sigh as he came back to the reality of the situation. "If by 'alright' you mean fresh out of a panic attack with budding telepathic _and_ telekinetic abilities, then yes. She's perfectly _alright_." Still, despite his rather facetious tone, when he turned back to her Bernard's face was the picture of patience and concern. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and it was only then that she realized that he was holding it in the first place. She was still a bit too out of sorts to be fully aware of where her hands had gone after they'd come away from her ears, but apparently one was in her lap and the other was being held by the head elf.

"He's right, she'll be fine," said a brusque voice. What appeared to be a small man in a tunic fluttered into view, hovering just behind the shoulder of the woman with the rather majestic headdress. There was an intrigued look in his eyes as he viewed the situation, but if anything was catching his fancy he certainly didn't bring it up.

"She just needs a little time to rest," said an old, wizened man in the back, and the woman nodded in agreement before turning to speak to Santa. He nodded a few times and looked over at Ellington's bed, the secrecy making her heart pound again. She felt like a ticking time bomb, really. She had no idea the extent of what was going on with her own body, or why, or if she was ever going to be able to control it without being dosed up on whatever Hismus had given her. Was this a passing thing, or was it permanent? Would she ever be normal again?

Perhaps Bernard noticed, because a few seconds later he was rubbing circles into the back of her hand with his thumb, and she was beginning to calm down once more. The woman turned back to Ellington, smiling reassuringly as if aware of the state of panic the girl was in. "We are doing everything we can to make sure we understand your situation," she told her calmly, and Ellington felt a bit better. "Seeing as it's the middle of the night, we'll resume our efforts in the morning—and you should get some rest as well," she added with a motherly arch of her eyebrow. Ellington couldn't help but smile slightly at the gesture, nodding in reply. "Good night, Ms. Connelly."

Without further ado, the woman ducked out of the doorway, the rest of the odd group that Ellington was unfamiliar with following after her. She was left alone in the hospital wing with Santa, Bernard, a slight lingering ache in her head and a dozen questions.

"Are my sisters okay?" was the first thing out of her mouth when she was more comfortable with the company in the room. Bernard nodded and Santa came up to her bed, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Annise and Dottie are fine," he assured her, the ease in his tone all but putting her worries to rest. "They were worried sick about you, but we managed to convince them that you'll be alright with the proper help. Buddy may have helped talk them down."

"He is pretty convincing."

"Once they were sure you were in good hands, the elves gave them a once over to make sure they didn't have any injuries, and then took them back to the workshop for the night."

"Thank you," Ellington sighed, relieved, and a happy smile crossed her lips. Still, her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry about all the trouble I've put everyone through."

"Nonsense!" Scott interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's not as if you _knew_ you were developing telepathy." He gave her a pointed look, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes before he broke down and yawned cavernously. "But that's something we can discuss in the morning. Think you can keep things under wraps for a few hours so we can all get some shuteye?"

"I'll do my best," Ellington agreed with a slight giggle, and Scott nodded in approval, still smirking.

"That's all we can ask for. Well I've got to get home, Carol's probably having trouble getting Buddy to sleep. Whenever something exciting happens, it's nearly impossible to get him to go to bed unless I'm there. Good night, Ellington. Sleep well." Ellington bid him goodnight, watching him leave and suddenly becoming acutely aware of the feeling of Bernard's fingers tangled up with hers.

"I know what Santa said," she added quietly with guilt all over her face. It was a bit surprising given how loopy she'd been a few minutes previously. "That I shouldn't feel guilty about what happened—about what's happening to me. But even before I went nuclear the dinner wasn't going well. I was trying to do what we talked about, to get through to Dottie and let bygones be bygones, but…she just isn't ready to let everything go. I just don't know where we went wrong." She trailed off for a moment, looking at the two lumps that were her feet under the blankets before looking back up at him.

"But besides that, I'm sorry that I'm becoming such a burden. I told you I would try to be as unobtrusive as possible, Bernard, and I feel like I'm slowly encroaching on your schedule and time—"

' _Not to be blunt,'_ Bernard cut in on her thoughts, still just as clear as he'd been before. ' _But quite frankly, none of this is your fault. And while I may have had to make a few adjustments here and there, you're hardly wrecking my routine.'_

' _Well I'm glad you can see it that way,'_ Ellington confessed with a slight laugh. She was in an amazingly good mood now, even though her eyes were beginning to droop. Whatever the doctor had given her, it was definitely working wonders.

"Besides, you shouldn't worry so much," Bernard added aloud, his voice seeming loud in the quiet room in spite of the fact that he was only speaking just above a whisper. "It's not good for you to worry right now, with all that's going on in that pretty head of yours."

Ellington's eyes popped open again, a hopeful and amused look on her face. "You think I'm pretty?" She asked, her eyes immediately sagging closed again as she began to lose the fight for consciousness. Still, she kept trying to open them, her interest in Bernard's reply fueling her attempts.

Bernard couldn't help but smirk at her efforts, musing on how oddly childish she looked. It wasn't something he was used to seeing in her so far. "Yeah, I guess you're pretty cute," he said fondly, a sideways smile crossing his lips.

"Well that's nice." Ellington gave a content sigh at his reply. "Night, Bernard," she slurred as she fell asleep under the influence of the medication. Bernard sat with her a few more moments until he was sure she was asleep before giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Goodnight, Elle."

* * *

By noon of the next day, it seemed that Hismus had worked the kinks out of whatever sedative cocktail he'd given Ellington the night before. She was given another injection, and this time, she didn't get loopy and giggly-just more focused and calm. She was told that she could head back to her room sometime that afternoon, but that was all she was told. In the meantime she simply scrolled through her phone, keeping herself occupied and hoping that she wouldn't start hearing any voices again.

Right off the bat she found that she had a plethora of new messages, all from strange numbers. Then she remembered that she'd given her digits to a few different elves over the course of the week, all ones who she had interacted with and helped with projects in various ways. She had found that her talents were helpful to some of the elves, who seemed to appreciate her creative input—especially since she was a human teen, who was up to date with current trends and such. They almost treated her as an expert, and she definitely didn't mind being able to help with something. With all the help she was receiving from Santa, the least she could do was pay it forward in any way she could.

So she saved their numbers under the names she could remember and replied to each of them, telling them she wasn't sure when she'd be back in the workshop but when she was, she'd be sure to drop by and take a look at things. She really hoped her 'problem' wouldn't reduce her to being grounded to her room for the rest of her stay. She was really beginning to enjoy interacting with everyone, with being a familiar face that the elves actually recognized and maybe even liked seeing around.

After that, the first thing she thought to do was search for was _telepathy_ and _telekinesis._ She wanted to know what she was getting into, and apparently, what she was getting into was controversial. Then again, so was everything she was surrounded by at the moment. She was in the hospital at the North Pole; pretty much anything was possible, right? Still, it felt a little unbelievable that it was all happening to her.

Right off the bat she made the conscious and personal decision not to ever try and intrude on someone's thoughts if she could help it. Thoughts were so extremely personal and while her fear of her newfound ability also contributed to the decision, it also came from a basic respect for privacy. Nobody really wanted a nosy girl poking around in their heads without permission, and as self-conscious as she already was about her freak powers Ellington didn't want to anger anyone.

Finally around one thirty she was escorted back to her room, where she found neither Annise or Dottie waiting for her. That was surprising, as she'd honestly expected at least Annise to be concerned about her condition. But when she asked one of the elves about where her sisters were, she was informed that Dottie and Annise had gone out together that morning. What a curious idea. Ellington wondered if they at least were getting along. She figured as the eldest sister, she would be the black sheep in Dottie's eyes for a while—especially after the events of the night before.

This did give Ellington enough time to take a shower and put on some clean clothes. Admittedly, she was still bone tired and trying to stay calm so that she didn't break into another headache, but at least she was in the room that she felt most at home in anywhere at the Pole.

Since she had no idea what she was supposed to do or where anybody was, she was planning on staying in her room so she didn't cause any trouble. But just when she was about to lay down and turn some Netflix on, a hurried knock came at her door.

'Are you decent?' Came Bernard's familiar voice, and it was only after a solid ten seconds that Ellington realized that he'd only thought it at her.

"Yeah, come in," she called back aloud, still hesitant to use her newfound ability, even with someone she trusted like Bernard.

"Could you hear me?" Bernard asked straight away, not bothering to beat around the bush. Ellington nodded at once, clasping her hands in her lap. She was sat cross-legged on her bed, looking a bit nervous in spite of her best attempts to remain peaceful. "Then why did you answer me out loud?"

Ellington gave a shy, almost ashamed little shrug. "I don't know how to control this yet, and…I guess I just didn't want to take any risks."

"You don't have to be afraid of what you can do, Elle." The elf sat down on the bench at the end of her bed, watching her curiously, but Ellington kept her eyes on her hands.

"No offense but from what I've read? I really should be," she admitted. "I mean, telepathy is pretty invasive, and telekinesis? Downright scary. Maybe things like that are common up here, but where I'm from…" She sighed. "With humans, something like this is the stuff of sci-fi, or freak shows: a _fiction_. I'm honestly hoping we can find a way to get rid of it before I have to go home."

"Wait, you think you can get _rid_ of this?" Bernard sounded disbelieving. "Get rid of your abilities?"

"Why not?" Ellington asked with a shrug. "I mean if Hismus can all but squelch them temporarily then there must be a way to destroy them altogether…" She froze mid sentence, looking up at Bernard in a panic. "Are you trying to tell me I might be _stuck_ like this? Permanently?" Her voice was eerily calm, despite the expression she wore.

Bernard shook his head. "You're looking at this all wrong," he explained patiently. "If you learn to control this, it could be a skill. You might even find it fun, eventually."

"Yeah, I don't exactly find hearing everyone's innermost thoughts entertaining or rewarding." She flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm starting to think this might all be a little more than I can handle." She stared at the red and green beams for a long moment before sighing and looking down at him. "Sorry, I shouldn't be unloading on you. What did you come here for?"

Bernard made a slightly peeved face. "You're not unloading, and I _told_ you to stop worrying about my taking time for you. I'm your chaperone, I'm here to help make things easier." He sighed and stood up. "As it so happens I actually did come here for a good reason—not that checking up on you isn't already one." He gave a slight smile. "The council would like to have a few words with you, if you're feeling up to it."

"The council?" Ellington repeated confusedly, before a look of understanding crossed her face. "Oh, those important people from the hospital. Right."

"How'd you know they were important?"

"Besides the obvious?" She tapped at her head. "The way they were dressed. If that doesn't scream "important" than I don't know what does." She sighed and sat up quickly, flinging her legs off the edge of the bed and slipping her shoes on. "Sure, why not? Doubt I'm going to be feeling much better any time soon if what you're trying to tell me is true."

"And what exactly am I trying to tell you?" Bernard asked skeptically.

"That there isn't, in fact, any cure for what I've got," Ellington levelled, an eyebrow raised. Seeing that he didn't argue she sighed again. "Right. Lead the way." Something told her that things were only going to get more difficult from then on out.

* * *

"What do we know about Ellington?" Mother Nature asked. Since the events of the night before, all attention had turned from the matter of Phillip Connelly's life to the rather curious case of his daughter's telepathic awakening. Seeing as the girl didn't come from any sort of an apparent magical background, the incident was a bit baffling.

"Not much," Scott admitted, drumming his fingers on his knee. "Seventeen, originally from Washington state, lives in Hawaii. Two sisters, mom and dad. On the nice list, for what it counts—minus a little stint on the naughty list back in 2005."

"Well, we can start with this." Carol came into the room, dropping a heavy manila folder onto the table in front of her husband. Scott looked a little taken aback at first but quickly caught on and began rifling through the contents. "I pulled a few strings back home within the school system, got all of Ellington's academic records and such. Thought it might give us a little insight into what her mind is like, considering how crucial that is to her gift."

"That's a fantastic idea Carol! Thank you," Scott replied, giving her a grateful smile. He passed the folder to Mother Nature, who passed out sections of the contents to each of the council members.

"If we all go at it maybe we'll find something quicker," she suggested, and the others murmured in agreement.

"Do you want to stay and help? We could use your educated eye, you know," Scott suggested, and after a moment's deliberation Carol nodded in agreement, pulling out a chair to the right of him.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot." Carol pulled what was left of the folder back, opening it and peeking in at the contents. The room dissolved into quiet, thoughtful noises over the next few minutes.

"The human education system is baffling," Mother Nature commented quietly after a while. "Compared to the magical ones, that is. Less intuitive and more…organized? Almost painfully so." Carol seemed to want to defend her old profession, but before she could the door to Santa's study opened and Ellington herself stepped into the room, followed closely by the head elf.

"Ah, the girl of the hour!" Scott said, breaking into a smile and pushing away the paperwork as if glad for an excuse to. Ellington gave a weak smile, a bit self-conscious in front of so many people of such status. These were all legendary figures, and she was just a teenager with a problem-well, _problems_.

"Are you feeling any better, honey?" Carol asked concernedly, immediately getting up to fuss over her in a motherly way. "Scott told me what happened last night, what a shame." Ellington had to admit, the feeling was rather welcome. She missed her parents a lot more now that her own state of wellbeing was in jeopardy too.

"I'm alright, thanks. Whatever Dr. Hismus gave me seems to be keeping things under control…for now." She didn't want to assume that it would continue to work. Who knew what would change with her abilities, everything was up in the air. Carol brought her to a chair and Elle sat down, crossing her ankles and trying not to look as nervous as she felt. Bernard was leaning over and whispering something in Santa's ear, and Ellington had to rein her thoughts in tightly to make sure that she wasn't accidentally eavesdropping—especially since mental communication with Bernard came so easily to her.

"We wanted to ask you a few questions," Mother Nature said with a kind smile, lacing her fingers on the table. "The rest of the council, Santa, Carol and I have spent a short time perusing your academic record to better understand your mental situation. I hope you don't find that too intrusive."

Ellington gave a short little laugh, raising her eyebrows. "Given the situation, I think _my_ privacy is the least of my worries."

"An astute observation," the woman agreed with a nod. "We've been trying to sort out the mystery of what has caused your powers, and how best to control them—especially considering how you developed them on such short notice."

"I appreciate it, I'm sure," Ellington replied, sounding faintly confused. She was still in the process of calming down, and was immensely grateful that Bernard was still nearby. For some reason, it felt like his presence was the only thing keeping her from completely freaking out. "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but I'm afraid I don't know who you all are."

"Oh how thoughtless of me! We haven't been properly introduced." The woman turned to Santa, allowing him to take control of the situation as the host.

"Ellington, these are my friends—and incidentally, the members of the Council of Legendary Figures," Santa said, gesturing at each person in turn. "Mother Nature, Father Time, Sandman, Easter Bunny, Cupid, and—"

"And me!" A voice chimed in from the doorway, and Santa couldn't help but roll his eyes. Ellington lifted her gaze away from Cupid's (he had winked at her, which was more than a little worrying) to find a man in the doorway, brushing snow from his shoulders. She couldn't be sure but she thought she felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees—and Bernard's expression certainly went frigid enough if it hadn't. Apparently, this member was somewhat of a confrontational subject.

Easter Bunny and Cupid both groaned audibly, while Father Time tapped his staff ever so gently on the floor. "You're late again, Frost," he chided, but the man with the spiky blue hair and piercing blue eyes only tutted his tongue, straightening out the lapels of his suit jacket.

"Nonsense! Only fashionably so," the man quipped, finding his way around to take a seat at the end of the table furthest from Mother Nature. "Hello fellow members, Mrs. Claus, and oh! Resting grouch face. What a surprise. Didn't think your ever-so-busy schedule allowed for this sort of engagement." He immediately set his feet up on the tabletop, snow falling from the soles of his shoes which quickly earned him another irritated glare from Bernard's direction.

"This isn't your average council meeting—otherwise I would have no business being here," the head elf replied with no small amount of indignation. Apparently he wasn't one for letting insults roll off his back, Ellington noted. "And really? 'Resting grouch face'?"

"Oh, don't get your velvet britches in a bundle, Bernie. I only speak the truth." Jack winked and cracked his knuckles, clearly unfazed by Bernard's attitude.

"Nice to see you again, Jack," Scott added, not seeming to be too irritated by the newcomer's flippant behavior. "Glad you made it—ya know, _eventually."_

"Well, I couldn't turn down an invite from my old pal in the red coat, now could I?" The man smirked, clearly of the impish, mischievous sort—or at least that was the conclusion Ellington was coming to. Scott looked over at her, about to introduce the newcomer when Jack realized that they weren't alone. "Oh, well excuse _me_. We're in unfamiliar company, now aren't we?" He hopped up out of the chair with a bounce that seemed to contradict his apparent age. "Who might this young thing be?"

Bernard was already huffing, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest by the time Mother Nature replied. "Jack, this is Ellington Connelly," she explained in a tone that was a subtle prompt to behave. "She's one of the three bright young ladies Santa has invited North for Christmas."

"Is that so?" Jack asked curiously, and Ellington forced a slight smile. She found herself equal parts entertained and wary of the man's behavior, and since she was still a problem waiting to happen (at least in her own mind) she tried not to come off too chipper.

"The Emissary Clause," Scott explained, and no sooner had the word 'clause' come into play that Jack made a face.

"Another of those blasted rules! At least this one seems to have some perks: outsourcing. You could use some new faces up here—actual people, not just the short, pointy eared minions." Jack smiled at Ellington, reaching for her hand and kissing the back of it. Ellington did her best not to recoil at how chilly his own hands were, though she supposed that was to be expected. "Jack Frost," the man introduced himself, even though it was already apparent just who he was.

"An honor, I'm sure," Ellington replied, taking her hand back and rubbing it as if she'd hurt it somehow. Jack returned to his seat, still smiles and clearly unfazed by Ellington's unease. She didn't think to look up for a few moments until she heard a familiar voice pop into her mind again.

'You alright?' She looked up silently to find Bernard watching her with concern. 'Frost can be a real piece of work. He didn't hurt you, did he?'

'What? No, no of course not. I'm fine—well, as fine as can be expected,' she replied with another thin smile. She felt tired, Jack's exuberance making her feel even more drained. She was beginning to think that perhaps Hismus hadn't quite managed to get rid of all of the sedative effects from her medication when she realized she was being addressed by Mrs. Claus.

"Ellington?" The entire table was in fact looking at her, and Ellington felt a little more out of sorts.

She turned her gaze to the woman, forcing a more genuine smile and an attentive look. "Yes?"

"I was just telling the council about your test scores," Carol explained, and Ellington nodded. "Were they retakes, or…?"

"No, I only took them once each," Ellington replied, and Carol seemed almost disbelieving.

"So, you're telling me you came in the ninety ninth percentile on the SAT, and have an IQ of 204, just from testing one time each?" Ellington hesitated before nodding, mainly because of the response of the other council members. "That's highly unusual you know," Carol clarified, and Ellington felt her cheeks heat up. "Isn't a score above a 180 on an IQ test genius level?" Murmuring around the table seemed to agree. "Do you have any explanation for that?"

Ellington suddenly felt like she was being interrogated. "I like studying?" she offered lamely, before adding, "and I'm good at tests? I don't know what to tell you. I think outside of the box, over analyze everything. Half of the questions on both of those tests I thought I was getting wrong, but when I got my results back they were actually really good scores. I can't explain it."

"Well your telepathy might have something to do with it," Mother Nature suggested. "It's quite obvious that you have an exceptional mental aptitude. It's possible you've always had a bend towards these powers, but coming North, coming here to the Pole, has exposed you to a lot more magic than what you're used to."

"So what you're saying is that all of this magic has gone to my head?" Ellington asked ruefully, a slight smirk on her lips. That caused a few snickers, and the one that left her feeling most triumphant came from Bernard, stifling the noise with a cough. Jack on the other hand, outright laughed.

"I like her," he noted, which made Ellington shake her head a little.

"Exactly," Mother Nature concluded, rearranging the paperwork strewn across the desk into a neat stack. She handed it back to Scott, who passed it to Carol and she placed it all back into the original manila folder. "I think it's amplified your already exceptional mind into something more." The rest of the council nodded in agreement.

"I'm not sure this 'something more' is something I'm _ready_ for," Ellington admitted, fidgeting her hands in her lap. "I mean, not to put any pressure or guilt or anything but I've already got enough going on without a mental breakdown constantly around the corner." She looked around the room at the others, eyes worried and a bit frightened. "Is there anything we can do to get rid of it? Anything at all?"

Mother Nature and Father Time shared a reluctant look, and Ellington knew the prospects weren't in her favor. "There are some things we could try, but they only work on beings who have possessed magic for long periods of time," Father Time explained carefully.

"That aside, you're human," Mother Nature went on. Seeing Ellington's mildly confused expression, Jack clarified.

"Fragile," he proclaimed, shifting in his seat casually. "Getting rid of your powers at such a vulnerable point could ruin your mind, is what I believe they're dancing around. Isn't that right?" Reluctantly, Mother Nature and Father Time nodded in agreement. "Great!"

"Great?" Scott asked, sounding disgusted, but Jack remained unfazed.

"Absolutely! Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we come to the more pressing matter."

"And that would be?" Bernard asked, the forced patience in his voice making Ellington worry.

Jack grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Who among us is going to teach this lovely young thing how to use her budding abilities?" In spite of the fact that the council didn't like where Jack was going with this, they didn't seem to be able to find a good argument against his point. "You all have enough on your plate as it is, right? Well, I happen to have a blank space in my schedule—"

"If you don't mind me saying," Bernard cut in, eyeing Jack sideways, "I feel like I don't even need to explain why this is a bad idea. Please tell me no one is actually considering this." The council remained silent, Easter Bunny giving a little shrug and Cupid murmuring that it wasn't the _worst_ option.

"Jack _does_ have experience working with…young sprites with powers," Mother Nature said delicately, and Ellington sensed that there was some kind of a bad history there was Jack seemed to clam up a little. "Perhaps he is the best suited for this task after all."

"Yeah, and that _experience_ turned out really well, didn't it?" Bernard snapped, clearly growing defensive. Jack made an annoyed sound, crossing and re-crossing his legs as if uncomfortable with the conversation—even though his face was growing angry. Ellington felt her heart-rate speed up, and she took a subtle breath to try and keep calm in spite of the tension in the room.

"Oh let it go, Bean-head," Jack spat irritably, giving the head elf a dismissive wave.

"Let it go?" Bernard gave a sardonic little laugh. "Sorry, but no. I'm Elle's chaperone, and I'm not okay with this."

"Come _on,_ what's the worst that could happen?"

Bernard's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "What's the worst that could…you know damn well what! I for one am _not_ about to watch you lose your temper and skewer her with an icicle like you did your own sister—"

"ENOUGH!" Mother Nature slammed a gavel down on the table, cratering the surface ever so slightly. The room immediately went silent, Jack and Bernard still glaring at each other. "Have some courtesy for the state of our guest!" She said reproachfully, casting a worried look at Ellington's chair. The two turned their gazes away to find the girl with her hands over her ears, tears in her eyes—but she looked angry herself.

' _Elle?'_ Bernard asked her mentally, but the girl's expression didn't change. She did lower her hands though, shifting her glare between both of them.

"Calm down," she said authoritatively, and immediately both sprite and elf seemed to lose any animosity they were holding, their expressions shifting to a placated ease.

"I'm completely calm," Jack said, while Bernard merely nodded and squared his shoulders with a mild "of course." It took them both around ten seconds to realize what had just happened, but when they did they both looked at Ellington in disbelief.

' _Did you just…?'_ Bernard asked her privately, but Jack broke down into a pleased chuckle.

"Oh this is going to be a _lot_ of fun," he admitted, and Bernard could only manage a worried look in his direction.

"I don't care who teaches me what," Ellington said firmly, blinking back her tears. "All I know is that I _need_ to know how to control this—this _thing,_ this ability, before it starts controlling me." Her hands moved to clutch nervously at the armrests of her chair, nails digging into the plush upholstery.

Mother Nature viewed the girl with gravity and sympathy before raising her hand. "Motion to assign council member Jack Frost as tutor to Ellington Connelly? By a show of hands, please." Easter Bunny's hand went up first, after that, Father Time's. After a reluctant pause, Cupid also raised a tiny hand, which left Scott and Jack to vote.

"Santa?" Mother Nature asked, and Scott glanced over at his wife. Carol gave a gentle shrug.

"I really don't know what's best here, Scott. It's up to you." She set her hand over his, and Scott turned to look at Bernard. The elf was clearly anxious about the fact that the council seemed unanimous on the decision—and even though Ellington couldn't possibly have understood why he was so worried for her spending time around Jack, he found that he was still angry with her, as well.

"You know where I stand on the matter, sir." He raised his chin petulantly, ignoring Jack completely. He already knew that the vote was against him, and whether he liked it or not Jack would be taking up most of Ellington's time from then on out. Was that why he was so upset, or was it the reason he'd already stated?

He didn't have time to consider it further as Santa sighed and lifted his hand. Jack's was immediately in the air, and then he was on his feet, rubbing both hands together like some sort of spindly salesman.

"I guess that settles things then?" He said, a bright, satisfied smile plastered all over his face. Bernard wanted to punch him, in spite of Ellington's efforts from before to keep him calm.

"Motion carried," Mother Nature agreed, and with another bang of her gavel the vote was sealed. The rest of the council descended into quiet, unrelated conversation, and the meeting seemed to be for all intents and purposes adjourned. Jack gave Ellington a borderline giddy look, and the girl smiled back, albeit wearily. Her gaze wasn't on the winter sprite for long though, as her attention was quickly shifted to that of Bernard leaving the room, his back already to her.

' _Bernard?'_ She tried cautiously, but he didn't reply. He did falter slightly, and she knew he'd heard her mental plea, but then he pressed on, slipping out of the office doors before anyone else took the time to notice. Ellington felt her stomach sink. Was she wrong? Should she have taken Bernard's side? She certainly didn't know as much about Jack Frost's past as he seemed to, but the decision had been made now. She felt a cold hand come to rest on her shoulder, and she looked up into the bright blue eyes of her new mentor.

"So. Where do you want to start?"

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	6. Chapter 6

_6_.

What was avoiding an ex like?

It was a strange thing for Ellington to wonder, to be sure. She was simply having breakfast in the kitchen, a half drunk something or other in front of her as she stared off into space. A cocoaccino, according to Jack. She had to admit, for all his glaring faults—like the size of his ego, the slightly grating 'flare' he always seemed to need to have and the fact that his jokes were downright corny most of the time—he was actually a decent teacher. She was learning how to control her newfound abilities, in spite of how difficult that was.

Annise and Dottie seemed to be on good terms again—which was very good, since Ellington hadn't gotten to spend a lot of time with either of them. It had been two weeks since her first "incident", and things had not settled between the sisters yet. Jack seemed to be very sympathetic, telling her that maybe she was better off on her own while she was still so volatile, but she still thought she would have liked her sisters' support—especially since she'd all but lost her other lifeline.

That's what had put her on her current train of thought. Since Jack had taken her under his wing, Bernard had dropped Ellington like a hot potato—and she didn't understand what she'd done to rub him so far the wrong way. Sure, she'd accidentally used her powers on him to change his mind. She'd done the same thing to Jack and he'd just seemed impressed. Maybe Jack was right, and Bernard did tend to get his knickers in a twist over small things. But she got the decided feeling this was something else entirely, and that it was her fault. Hence her wondering if her tiptoeing around Bernard was similar to avoiding an ex-boyfriend out of embarrassment.

She didn't get a second glance from him in the workshop. Yes, she still went to the workshop every day, to help the elves in any way she could. It honestly gave her a mental break from Jack's rigorous training, and she felt like she could actually do something properly there. It also seemed that when she (quite literally) put her mind to it, she could use her ability to influence moods in a good way. Wherever she went, she did her best to brighten the spirits of the elves—and sometimes, she even thought she could see the effect she had. Still, she was trying to be subtle, so it was impossible to be sure that she was actually making a difference.

And maybe it was better that way, because she was still very self-conscious about her telepathy. But she would have liked Bernard to have noticed. Then maybe he could have forgiven her for whatever she'd done to piss him off so thoroughly.

"Earth to Elle!" She was shaken from her thoughts by Jack's hand being waved in front of her face. She jumped back a little, blinking slowly. "What'd I tell you about spacing off, kid?"

Ellington sighed, lifting her eyes to the ceiling. "That if I let my thoughts wander I'm more likely to pick up on other people's," she repeated back and Jack nodded.

"Precisely. And since you're so very adverse to that idea…" The sprite trailed off, cocking his head at Ellington's morose expression. "Say, what's gotten you in such a funk, hmm? You haven't been yourself lately."

Ellington snorted softly, her eyebrows lifting as she turned her gaze down to her now lukewarm drink. "I have plenty of good reasons for not acting like myself," she admitted, chewing her bottom lip. She decided to shift the subject to something more troubling, since talking to Jack about Bernard was probably about the most pointless thing ever. Saying that they didn't get along was a massive understatement, and would only get her a headache in return.

"Jack, has the council come to any conclusions about how to help my dad? I know you're not supposed to talk about it," she added quickly, seeing his expression grow reluctant, "but honestly, if you could tell me anything at all, it would take a load off of my mind—which we both know I could really use."

Jack viewed her closely for a moment before looking around and leaning in a little closer. "Listen, from the meetings I've attended when I'm not with you, things aren't looking good. I know grandmot—that is, Mother Nature has reached out to Fate to see what the plan is for your father's life—and if it's possible for it to be altered in any way—but right now, they're stumped."

Ellington sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration—which would have been impossible, if it had been in its usual curly state. She'd taken to straightening it over the past week or so. "How can they be stumped?" she asked, sounding both bewildered and irritated. "You all have so much magic between the, what five or six of you? Why can't somebody just cure him?"

"Despite what you humans may think, we can't just 'magic' something better, Elle," Jack replied, trailing a finger around on the tabletop and leaving a miniscule track of frost in its wake. "There are forces at play that just can't be contested, or things fall out of whack in a major way." He paused and shuddered in mock disgust. "Ugh, I almost sounded like Bernard for a second there."

"But why Fate?" Ellington asked, still pressing for details while she had Jack engaged. "What does he do that he's the deciding factor in my father's outcome?"

"Well, what _is_ your father's fate?" Jack said, arching an eyebrow. "The answer is in the question: he's got his fingers in everyone's pie. Fate can be a bit…how to put it? Hands off in his approach to managing his duties. Most times, with individual people he just lets things go the course. Getting him to take especial interest in your father's life takes some time and convincing—but Tara thinks he'll be replying to her messages soon."

By "Tara", Ellington gathered that Jack still meant Mother Nature—who he had also obviously let slip was his grandmother? She'd have to ask about the family dynamic sometime when her own wasn't such a mess—but then, from what Bernard had been saying, Jack's family had some drama as well. Why did her thoughts have to keep going back to Bernard? Ellington took an angry sip of her drink, her free hand clenching into a fist on the table. Everything was messy and complicated and while Jack was honestly growing on her in a way that not only covered mentorship but also bordered on friendship, it wasn't the same as it had been with Bernard. She missed him, missed following him around like a bit of a lost puppy and learning things from him. Maybe she had been a burden after all, and that was why he'd left her to Jack's watch as soon as he could. Why did she always have to make her friends dislike her in the end?

As frustrating as that endless cycle of wondering was, it was all she had at the moment. Jack seemed to notice that her mood had only worsened, and he gave the table a little attention gathering pat with his hand. "Why don't you take the morning to yourself? I think you need to take a little time to deal with your emotions before we attempt our next lesson. It won't help you any to have too much on your mind," he pointed out, and Ellington nodded.

"Thank you, Jack. I could honestly use it." She looked down at the table as Jack stood up, pushing his chair in.

"No problem, Elle. You know how to find me when you're ready to start." Jack gave a nod or two to the kitchen staff as he made his way out, weaving through the crowd with his elbows lifted as if to keep them away from the heads of the elves. Ellington couldn't help but smile at the sight until she heard a voice in her mind.

 _'So, he calls you Elle too now?'_ She jumped in her seat, turning around to find the head elf standing behind her and casually reading a progress chart as though the conversation were only secondarily important. Her face softened before she hid the expression, narrowing her eyes at his tone.

' _At least he talks to me at all,'_ she retorted, examining the sleeve of her sweater before turning back around in her seat. She found it much easier to communicate mentally than she had at first, but with Bernard it was always exceptionally simple. She had wondered why before, but thought it better not to press the subject.

' _After how hard he worked to be your mentor? He really ought to.'_ Bernard's slightly bitter note couldn't be missed even in thought—and if it could, the overwhelming feeling of jealousy that hit Ellington next definitely couldn't be.

 _'Well considering how he wasn't forced into it, I think he's pretty appreciative of my company,'_ she replied stiffly, unable to keep back the pang of hurt she felt at the way Bernard had been treating her. For the first time the elf glanced over at her, the remorse on his face apparent. So he did feel bad, after all. But was it because he'd been shirking his duties as her chaperone, or because he actually missed her?

Ellington didn't feel like sticking around to find out. With a tense sigh she got up from her place, taking her cup to one of the elves doing dishes nearby and thanking them. She set her hand on their shoulder, sending a wave of good emotion their way before moving to leave the kitchen—which unfortunately meant brushing right past Bernard. "Excuse me," she murmured out loud, keeping her eyes averted and on her phone as a means of seeming busy. She heard a faint sigh and the sound of shoes following after her once she was in the hall.

"Ellington…" She didn't stop or turn around, still crowd weaving her way towards R and D, where a programmer named Lewis was waiting for her to take a look at some sound cards he was producing. "Elle!" She rolled her eyes and finally turned around at almost the exact moment a hand landed on her shoulder, finding her practically nose to nose with the head elf. Brown eyes peered at her in surprise, but Ellington refused to budge.

"What." Her reply was flat and unamused. "Two weeks of the silent treatment and now you want to tell me what I did wrong? Well I hate to break it to you, but I'm busy too. Between Jack's lessons and bouncing between departments to help whichever elf needs me, and wondering if my sisters are okay because they have _both_ been ignoring me, and _your_ cold shoulder…" Ellington trailed off, feeling a familiar throbbing in her right temple that told her she was close to losing control of her powers. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, un-fisting her hands at her sides.

"I've got enough going on, so if you have something negative to add to the mix then please, keep it to yourself. You know, like you've been doing so well since Jack became my mentor." She turned to leave, feigning disinterest in his reply simply because of how upset she really was when she felt his hand grip around her wrist and the hallway faded from view around her.

Confused, Ellington gave a little shriek only to find it stolen from her throat. Wordlessly, she was transported somewhere else, some place she didn't recognize. An office? Still somewhere at the Pole, based on the red and gold embossed wallpapering.

 _'My office,'_ Bernard clarified mentally, and for the first time she realized he was the one who'd moved her. She turned to find him looking guilty and unsure, his hat a little more crooked than usual. She almost found it endearing in an odd way before she realized she was still mad at him and didn't want to be there.

"I said I didn't want to talk if—"

"I never said it was a negative thing I wanted to talk about," Bernard interjected, and Ellington's mouth fell shut.

"Well it must be important if you've brought me here," she pointed out, looking around the room with mild interest. "I didn't even know you had an office."

"Mostly use it for paperwork," Bernard replied with a shrug, going over to close the door. "Take a seat?" Seeing that Ellington frowned and looked as if she might just leave instead, he sighed. "Please?" he tried in a slightly more patient tone. She deliberated a long moment before moving to take a seat on the desk, instead of in one of the chairs. She didn't need to feel like she was in the principal's office by any means.

Bernard seemed a little miffed by the defiance, but wasn't in the mood to contest it.

"So why _am_ I here?" Ellington asked once the door had been closed, which only seemed to serve to make the situation that much more serious. She looked down at the table on either side of her, taking note of the items there in an effort to not freak out and do something accidentally by losing control of her emotions. A letter opener, tape dispenser, normal desk stuff. Paperwork, stacked in two neat stacks on the far side of the desk by a lamp; some of it appeared to be sections of the naughty and nice list. No computer—apparently Bernard kept things low tech. There was also a small red velvet box, the kind that looked a lot like an engagement ring belonged inside. Ellington's stomach did a strange, upset flop. Did Bernard have a girlfriend? The idea hadn't occurred to her before, considering how married he seemed to be to his job.

Bernard seemed to hesitate and consider where to stand, which was a little amusing considering that it was his office. Ellington couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he came to stand in front of her, hands behind his back as he viewed her strangely. "I wanted to give you a proper apology," he admitted, and Ellington let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Oh?" she replied, picking the box up off the desk almost compulsively. It was like something in her mind was prodding her, egging her on to touch it, hold it in her hands. She traced her fingers over the embossed lid, giving it an experimental toss before looking up at Bernard and finding his eyes wider than dinner plates. "Sorry, I don't know what I'm doing. Is this expensive?" She cringed at how stupid and disrespectful it was to touch his stuff when he'd brought her here out of respect, and moved to set it down.

"Nononono!" Bernard dove forward to grab at the box before she could place it back on the desk, as if he needed to catch it before she broke it. He took it from her, scowling at the tiny package for a moment before shooting her a dirty look. "You can't just toss this around, it's…" His face twisted into confusion. "Wait." He held up the box in front of his face, so that it was eye level with both of them. "You can see this?"

Ellington looked confused, swinging her feet below the desk a little. "Yes, and it was dumb of me to touch it without permission. Must be special, people don't just buy rings for fun, do they? Or maybe they do, what would I know. Anyway, you were saying?" She bit at the nail polish on her thumbnail nervously, suddenly feeling very on the spot—especially since Bernard wouldn't stop staring.

Then all of a sudden his trance seemed to be broken, and he rushed forward to shove the box into her hands. "Can you open it?" He asked, seemingly equal parts anxious and hopeful.

"W-why?" Ellington asked skeptically, fumbling with the box as she tried to take it from him. "Easy, easy! Is this some sort of enchanted box or something? Like only you're supposed to be able to see it?"

"Something like that," Bernard replied, looking as though he felt a bit woozy.

"You might want to sit down," She suggested, and without much more prodding Bernard sank back into one of the chairs opposite his desk.

"Good idea."

Appeased, she turned her attention back to the box, examining it closely. "It doesn't have a lock on it. Part of the enchantment?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Bernard replied with a shrug. Ellington looked up in confusion.

"What do you mean? Isn't this a gift for something—someone?" she asked pointedly, feeling a considerable amount of satisfaction and relief when Bernard squirmed in his seat and tugged his hat further down on his head.

"No," he said, borderline sulking, and she couldn't help but smirk. That only served to make him fidget more. "I mean, it could be. I don't know! It's complicated."

"Alright, take it easy. Most ring boxes have an occasion attached, it wasn't an unreasonable question." She gave the lid an experimental tug before sighing. "Well, I can't get it open. Can you?"

"Of course not," Bernard said, jumping up out of the chair and taking the box back. "If I could, why would I be asking you to?"

"Good point." Ellington was honestly a bit baffled by the whole situation, but figured she'd brought it on herself by picking the box up in the first place. Bernard went around the desk and stuffed the box into a drawer, under some things from the sound of it. She folded her hands in lap, awkward for the first time in the conversation.

" _Anyway_ ," Bernard continued, raising his eyebrows as if still surprised at the mild detour the discussion had taken. "I brought you here because it was quiet and a good place to make a proper apology."

"An apology," Ellington repeated skeptically. "You're apologizing?"

"Is it that surprising?"

"You just don't strike me as the apologizing type."

Bernard frowned as though he was going to argue that before shaking his head, waving both hands in a dismissive way. "It doesn't matter. All I'm trying to say is—" He paused, staring for a moment before his gaze dropped to the floor and he mumbled something.

"Excuse me?" Ellington tilted her head, confused by his change in behavior. Bernard sighed and looked up, setting a hand on top of his hat.

"I'm sorry I abandoned you when Jack came into the picture," he blurted out, and Ellington was surprised by the honesty. "I felt like you were being irrational, wanting _anybody_ to teach you instead of the best person for the job."

"Beggars can't be choosers, Bernard," Ellington reminded him, crossing her arms. "And anyway, I didn't see anyone else offering to teach me, did you?" Bernard sighed and looked away, and Ellington laughed out loud. "Wait wait, I get it. _You_ wanted to teach me?"

"Why is that so ridiculous?" He asked, his voice going slightly high in irritation. "We both know that we have a mental connection already, and I'm _more_ than qualified to teach you. It was the obvious choice, but Jack got everyone so caught up in his idea that—"

"Ber _nard_ ," Ellington interrupted, still half laughing. "No offense, but you're already busy as hell. Asking you to make twice as much time for me in your already busy schedule is _insane_."

"It could've worked," Bernard defended, mimicking her crossed arms without thinking. "And it would have been better than hardly seeing you at all, which is what we've got now."

Ellington couldn't help but smile, giving him a knowing look. _'What, do you miss me?'_

 _'Well…yeah,'_ Bernard admitted, and Ellington couldn't even repress the happiness that she felt at that. He smiled suddenly, and she knew that she must've accidentally sent the feeling to him as well. She was still working out how to keep her emotions to herself, so it wasn't too out of line; but it still embarrassed her a bit. _'I mean, at the risk of sounding clingy, I'd kind of gotten used to having someone tag along with me, you know? Curtis used to be the number two elf, and I used to have someone as a sort of sidekick on the rounds—even if it was Curtis. And since you got here, well…it was actually enjoyable.'_

 _'To be completely honest, I um...I miss you too,'_ Ellington replied, glancing shyly down at the floor. _'I mean, sure, I'm learning a hell of a lot from Jack about how to manage my telepathic skills, but besides that? He's always talking about himself, and he looks down his nose at everyone here. I miss going places with you, even if it was only to run simple errands or rounds.'_ She looked up ruefully, a sideways smile on her lips. _'I suppose that sounds pretty pathetic, doesn't it?'_

Bernard chuckled, breaking the silence in the room and reminding Ellington of how strange it was to be having a silent conversation like this. 'No more than I was,' he replied, and she immediately felt less self-conscious. She'd forgotten how he put her at ease, and with all of the stressful things going on in her life, she'd grown to miss that terribly. "So can we stop being mad at each other now?"

Ellington laughed. "You were mad at me too, huh?"

"Well, I mean. It's possible that in my irritation, I felt like you picked Jack over me." Bernard stuffed his hands in his pants pockets and shrugged, looking away carelessly, but there was a slight smirk on his lips.

Ellington couldn't help but snort in amusement. "As if. Jack's a decent guy from what I've seen, but his personality is a little too large for my liking. Puts me on edge."

"All understatements, in my opinion." Bernard looked at her sideways for a moment, then moved forward to rifle through a stack of paperwork. "I'm glad I brought you here though, because there's something else that I wanted to show you." He came to a section of paper with green and white striped edges, pulling out a few sheets and double checking them. "Hop up," he ordered, and immediately Ellington slipped off the table to stand beside him.

They appeared to be a series of graphs, charting something in weeklong periods. "What am I looking at?" she asked, biting at the inside of her lip thoughtfully. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking for.

"Elf morale records. How high the Christmas cheer was in the workshop on any particular week," Bernard clarified, one finger tracing the line on the chart. "In this case, the week before you arrived"—he pointed at the first chart— "the week after"—the second chart— "and the two weeks since you've been working with Jack. See anything notable?"

Ellington frowned, looking up at him in confusion. Bernard pursed his lips and redirected her gaze back to the table. "Look, Elle."

She did, and it was easy to find what he was talking about. The week after she'd arrived the morale had had a major spike, but after she'd developed her powers—after she'd taken to helping the elves hands on and using her telepathy to improve optimism where she could—it skyrocketed. Her expression shifted to amazement, and she looked up again to find the head elf looking practically triumphant.

"And you thought you weren't doing anything helpful up here," he said, half reproachfully as he nudged her. Ellington ducked her head, smiling softly.

"I didn't think anyone would notice," she admitted. "Heck, I wasn't even sure I _was_ doing anything, after all. These abilities of mine are pretty sporadic right now, and half the time I can't get them to work properly even with what Jack's taught me. In fact, I think one of the only times I really can is when I'm talking to you." She looked down at the papers in his hands one last time, a look of uncertainty crossing her face. "Are you _sure_ that isn't just coincidence?"

"To be completely straight, the only time we've seen such a dramatic and obvious lift in spirits was when Scott finally moved North for good," Bernard replied, setting them back on the stack and turning to lean against the desk. "It's pretty clear that it isn't just a freak occurrence, especially since the only thing that's changed is, well, you."

Ellington nodded, actually feeling a bit grateful for her abilities for the first time since she'd gotten them.

"That brings me to the third reason I brought you here," the head elf went on, and Ellington looked over in surprise.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Bernard's tone was light, but something in the way he crossed his arms made her think that this was the most serious part yet. "I was just wondering what your plans were, you know. When this is all over, when we sort everything with your father out."

Ellington was surprised by his confidence that things would work out, which wasn't something she could say she shared. "If," she corrected, running a hand through her hair. "And I don't really know. I guess I'll just be happy to see my family in one piece again. Spend as much time with them as I can."

"Of course. And…after that?" She didn't understand why he seemed to be so hesitant to come out and say whatever he was getting at, but she decided to indulge him.

"After that, go back to figuring out what college I'm going to. That's what I was doing before all of this happened, anyway. Feels like a hundred years ago by now." She stared at the door, thinking about how strange it would be to settle into the life of an ordinary college student after all she'd seen recently. The real world felt so far away from the Pole. "At least, so long as I'm able to control my abilities so that I'm safe to be around non magical people. But I suppose if Professor X can do it, then so can I."

"X-men?" Ellington nodded, and Bernard repeated the gesture thoughtfully.

"It'll be weird though, after all I've seen up here over the past few weeks. Going back to the ordinary, non-magical world is gonna be…strange. Disappointing, probably. This place has really started to grow on me, you know? With how nice everyone is, and the climate is great—I mean, Winter has always been my favorite season—and being able to actually help with something, in a way that doesn't leave me feeling like an addendum at the end of the day…" Ellington trailed off, realizing how pitiful that sounded. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, it'll take me a little while to get back in the swing of things, but hopefully I'll figure out some sort of a plan."

Bernard turned to look at her, a curious expression on his face as if he were very invested in her answer. "What if you didn't have to?"

A bit taken aback, Ellington drew her head back in confusion. "What do you mean?"

To her surprise, Bernard seemed completely serious. "You're good at what you do here, Elle," he told her, gaze open and earnest. "Helping the elves, keeping spirits bright—you're exactly the kind of person we could use."

"You—" Ellington faltered, trying to process what she thought he was getting at. "You're not suggesting I stay here," she said with wide eyes.

"You'd make an amazing elf," Bernard said with a slight shrug, and Ellington looked away, flabbergasted.

"Funny, Jack's said the same thing to me several times over." She rolled her eyes. "Or something to that effect, once you remove the sarcasm." Still, she was shocked at what Bernard was suggesting. "So you're saying I should come back here, to work for you?"

"Work for Santa, technically," Bernard corrected. "And becoming an elf, at that. It's not really a permitted thing to have humans on the payroll and all. But we'd work together, if you're interested. I'd like to offer you the position of elf number two."

Ellington stared openly at him. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" He had a point, he did seem completely earnest about it.

"Well, I'm not stupid," Ellington went on, feeling her pulse speed up a bit at all the excitement. "Isn't being the number two elf a big deal around here? Or did you just make it up to give me something to do," she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at him.

Bernard laughed, and Ellington felt her heart do a funny little skip. "Nah, we've had a number two elf before. I promise!" He added, seeing her eyes narrow further. "Remember, I told you earlier: Curtis was our last, but he had one too many mistakes and eventually ended up turning in the title for something more up his alley."

"Mistakes?"

"He made a toy replica Santa to stand in for Scott while he went to visit Charlie. The thing went mental and decided the whole world deserved coal for Christmas—almost cost us the day."

"Yikes."

"With a capitol Y. And then there was the time when I left him in charge for a while and he inadvertently gave Jack the keys to destroying Christmas as we know it."

"Jack tried to destroy Christmas?" Ellington raised an eyebrow. "I knew he was keeping something from me."

"I doubt it's something he likes to remember often." Bernard almost brought up another, bigger incident Jack had caused, but decided that it wasn't quite the right time. "Bottom line is, he gave up one of the biggest secrets relevant to Santa and Jack stole the coat from Scott. It was an ugly mess that eventually got sorted out, and when it was all over, I came back and took on my duties as head elf again. Curtis for his part narrowly avoided being fired by being sent back to R and D."

"Kinda sounds like management isn't really his thing," Ellington murmured, and Bernard hummed in agreement. "Maybe he's got a face no one listens to?"

"Something like that." Bernard looked over to find Ellington fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket, her eyes on the floor. "But I think you do."

"You sure about that? Not about my face, but about the management thing," she clarified.

"In the time you've been here, I've seen the elves in better spirits than I have in years. I've seen how you help them, how they listen to you and how natural the interaction is. Not to mention, I actually enjoy being around you, which isn't something I can say for a lot of people." He gave her a little nudge again, and she looked up with a slight flush on her cheeks. "I honestly think you're the most qualified person for the position that I've seen in years—even in spite of you being human. If I didn't, I wouldn't be offering it to you. It's not the kind of job I can offer someone offhandedly."

Ellington watched him for a moment, sending a slight mental probe in his to see if his feelings were as forthright as it seemed. From what she could tell with her budding mental abilities, he seemed to be telling the truth—which was more shocking than if it had all been a joke, really. "You sure you want to offer it at all? Now's your chance for takebacks, and I won't get mad," she offered, still entirely skeptical of what he was saying she was capable of. She could hardly manage her own thoughts, and he believed she could help him manage the entire workshop? Doubtful didn't begin to cover how she felt about that.

"Look," Bernard said, moving to stand in front of her. "I'm not really one for admitting I want help. But from you, I actually do, and I mean that. Truly." He seemed to really want her to say yes, which was surprising. In a matter of minutes they'd gone from not talking back to friends and then to plans for the future, and Ellington had a bit of a case of whiplash.

"I…" She tried to think of something to say that wouldn't sound like she was ungrateful or uninterested (because neither were true), but she didn't know how to let him down gently. "This isn't a decision I can really take lightly," she admitted, scratching her ear nervously.

"Of course not," Bernard conceded, taking a step back and giving a slight sigh of relief. "I was only hoping you'd consider it. I know it's a massive leap of faith for you, and I wouldn't expect you to just say yes," he said with a slightly embarrassed laugh, and Ellington could immediately tell he really _had_ hoped that, but then had realized post haste how foolish that idea was. "That would be crazy!"

"I really will consider it, Bernard," she said seriously, not letting him make too light of the situation. "It was a very kind thing of you to offer, and while I can't say I was expecting it…I'm honored." She offered him a smile, still processing what a turn her afternoon had taken.

"What can I say? I'd hate to see you go," Bernard said, and his words were just a little bit more gentle and fond then Ellington would have expected from him. They both had a moment where they just smiled at each other like they had some sort of secret, but what, neither of them knew. The silence was broken when Ellington's phone buzzed against her hip in her jacket pocket, and she blinked and looked away with a blush and a frown.

"It's Jack, he's wondering where I am," Ellington explained with a slight groan. She didn't even have to check her phone to know. "Every time he turns his thoughts my way it's like someone left the freezer door open on my brain." She rubbed at her temple and forced a smile.

"You had better get going, I've kept you long enough," the head elf said, moving out her way and going to open the study door. He felt a bit flustered and fidgety, though if you'd asked him he couldn't have told why.

"Nonsense, this was important," Ellington replied with absolute conviction. She shoved her hands in her pockets and went out into the hall, trying to orient herself with where in the workshop she was. If she wasn't mistaken, she was somewhere on the second floor near Santa's suites. She still recognized the stretch of wallpaper from her trip to see the council weeks before. She turned to give Bernard a wink before heading off in the direction of the doors to the courtyard. "Don't be a stranger!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Bernard called back, smiling in spite of himself. Besides the beginning, things had gone better than he expected. A frown formed on his face once she was out of sight. The beginning. That reminded him: he needed to try and figure out why Ellington was the only other person who could see that ring box, and he thought he knew just the person to ask.

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	7. Chapter 7

_7._

"Come on, kid, you can do better than that."

"Get off my case, Jack, I'm _trying to concentrate._ " Ellington's face was scrunched with effort, her eyes locked on a snow globe ten feet away on a ledge. She'd been able to levitate it at five feet, so Jack had thought that today they could double it, but so far, she wasn't having any such luck.

"Have you cleared your mind of anything except what you're doing now?" Jack asked pointedly, and Ellington huffed in frustration, her face relaxing into defeat as she gave up.

"What do you think? I burned my fingers welding a circuit board earlier, and I accidentally drank paint water instead of cocoa _at least_ twice today. I'm not exactly at my prime. The council is in session for the first time in weeks and rumor has it that Mother Nature has some sort of a solution up her sleeve."

"Which I know all too well," Jack replied, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall of the nearest building. "In fact, I'd be at that meeting myself if I hadn't gotten in trouble for telling you too much about said get-togethers. So instead, I'm here with you trying to stay patient when I know you're fully capable of moving that snow globe!"

Ellington narrowed her eyes at him, irritation bubbling up inside her gut. Over on the table, the snow globe lifted up off the table and hovered uncertainly before smashing into the nearest wall. She flinched and looked over, her expression falling into embarrassment.

"You've got to work on that temper of yours, _mon cher._ " Jack tutted his tongue and waved his hand. With a faint shimmer the snow globe reappeared on the table, unharmed. "The only thing I've found that really gets your powers rattled is when you let your anger slip. So long as you're relatively calm, you can do whatever you set that exceptional little mind of yours to do."

"Except for when I _can't_ control it." Ellington stared at the place where the globe had shattered before, practically pouting. She sat down on the snowy step, exhausted, and put her head in her hands. "Sometimes it feels like I'm not making any progress at all."

"You're coming along in leaps and bounds!" Jack insisted, strolling over to take a seat beside her. His jacket was off, silvery suspenders hanging at his sides. "Listen, you've only been at this for a few weeks. For some sprites and magical beings, it takes years to learn to have complete control over these kind of abilities. Telepathy and telekinesis aren't exactly child's play, either. They're pretty complex, and it will take you some time to have complete autonomy. To expect more than that is only setting yourself up for failure, and that's always foolish. Right?"

Ellington gave a small nod, realizing that he was right but still too glum to want to fully acknowledge it. She also wondered what part of his speech about setting oneself up for failure was inspired by his experience with trying to thwart Scott's tenure as Santa, but she didn't bring that up.

"And with that in mind, me as your teacher and the proper training well in hand, there's no doubt you can become one of the best telepaths who's ever lived!" Jack's confidence brought a slight smile to Ellington's face, and subsequently one to her mentor. He nudged her playfully, grinning widely. "There's the Elle I know. Smiling suits you more than a frown, anyway. Don't let all of this drama bring you down, okay?"

"Thank you," Ellington said with a sideways, grateful smile. "Sometimes I lose sight of the big picture—especially when I'm trying so hard to keep to myself."

"Well don't keep to yourself too much," the winter sprite warned her. "It's bound to get lonely after a while, and we all know what being upset does to your powers. Besides, a lovely young thing like yourself shouldn't be moping around just because she's got some troubles going on."

"I've got my sisters," Ellington suggested defensively, before faltering a little. "Or well, I did. Before all this."

"But what about friends? A boyfriend?" Jack suggested, and Ellington made a surprised and amused face.

"We're at the North Pole, my guy. It's not exactly a socialite's wonderland."

"Don't I know it. It's the biggest fault this place has, in my book. Well, that and the fact that half of the doorways are too short. And the chairs are too small. And have you noticed it smells of cinnamon, just about _everywhere_? It really begins to wear on you after an hour or so—"

A whistle cut through the air, a sure sign of a particular person's approach. A few moments later the head elf came into sight, clearly directing a small patch of elves away from the lingering group they'd formed by the candy store.

"No friends, definitely no boyfriend," Ellington said with a sigh, standing up. A pleased little smile crossed her lips as she readjusted her coat. "But what I do have is a Bernard. If you'll excuse me, I think we're supposed to go take a look around one of the outlying shops today." She hopped off the steps, giving Jack a playful little salute. Apparently, her mood had dramatically improved—though, from Jack's pep talk or Bernard's arrival remained unclear.

"Thanks for the lesson, Mr. Frost. I'll try to be a better study tomorrow, I promise." She trotted off, waving back at an already waving Bernard. Apparently the two of them had patched things up, Jack mused, his smile growing slightly forced.

"Just Jack, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't make me feel my age!" He chuckled. "I'll hold you to that." He let out a light sigh, his expression growing confused as his eyes fell on the head elf. The almost dopey smile on Bernard's face was straight up strange, as Jack couldn't remember ever having seen the grumpy overseer in such bright spirits. He also didn't remember the elf as being particularly handsy, yet as soon as Elle was within reaching range his hand was on her arm.

Jack was a little intrigued. Was it possible that Elle, good old oblivious Elle, was missing something right in front of her own nose? "That's absurd," he said aloud, watching the two walk away with a newfound skepticism. Still, he was curious, as his smirk attested. "Or…is it?" He'd have to keep an eye on Bernard from then on, make sure he kept things PG—even though he knew that was ridiculous and of course the elf wouldn't do anything less than honorable, it gave Jack a reason to get up in his business.

"Mr. Frost?" said a tiny, uncertain voice from near his elbow. A small elf was there, holding a clipboard. "Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing, but the council has asked for your presence, sir."

" _Again_ with the Mr. Frost—you know what, never mind." Jack summoned his coat on and and refrosted his hair a bit. "Thank you, tiny elf man. I'll go pop in on them, see what storm's a-brewing." Whenever he was around the girl, he found he melted slightly. It reminded him of his reaction to Scott's niece, Lucy. Human women were baffling, he decided, and in a swirl of snowflakes and icy cold wind, he vanished into thin air.

* * *

"How're the lessons going?" Bernard asked a little while later, after they had stopped for drinks at a café. Now both he and Ellington had cups in hand as they headed off into the outskirts of Elfsburg on foot. True, Bernard could have just teleported them there, but he figured there was no problem with taking the scenic route for Elle's sake. She did seem to appreciate the little things, after all.

"Not bad," Ellington admitted, sipping at her drink thoughtfully. She'd been outside for a while, and the chill of working with Jack was substantial. She was pretty cold at that point, in spite of her jacket and gloves. "I mean, at this point there's always room for improvement. But as far as managing the effects of this" —she tapped at the side of her head— "it's getting a bit better each day. Just a matter of knowing how to turn it off and on, really."

Bernard nodded. "That's good!" He hesitated a moment before adding mentally, ' _But you can still hear me, can't you?'_ , his smirk hidden partway by his cup.

Ellington couldn't help but mimic the expression, shaking her head in amusement. _'Your thoughts were the first clear thing I could pick up on. Of course I can,'_ she replied casually, shoving her free hand in her pocket.

"Well I'm glad Frost is doing a decent job of showing you the ropes," he replied, but there was a pretty obvious satisfaction on his face. Ellington found it a little surprising, but also oddly comforting that he found their rare mental connection something to celebrate. She certainly didn't talk to anyone else that way—not yet, at least. Perhaps eventually, once people became comfortable with her abilities, it would save time. But for now, she was only really okay with using it between her and Bernard. It almost felt a little sacred, somehow.

"Because the annual Halloween party is coming up next week," Bernard went on, and Ellington grew surprised. She must've lost track of time. It was almost Halloween already? She really _had_ been at the Pole for a month and a half. "It would be a pity if you felt you needed to sit it out, especially since it's the first real holiday you'll get to celebrate up here."

"A party?" Ellington repeated, and Bernard turned a corner before nodding again.

"Yep. It can get pretty intense, especially if Halloween invites himself to attend. This year I think things will be private enough, but Santa still wants to put on a show because of you three. He really wants you guys to experience as much of the magical world as you can during your stay—which I can't fault him for, really."

"Sounds fun." Ellington watched her shoes scuff through the snow, tossing up little puffs of flakes. "I mean, I can't say I'm really the party type, but I'm sure it's very spooky scary and all."

"Does that mean you don't think you'll go?" Ellington was surprised when Bernard stopped walking, an expression similar to a kicked puppy on his face.

"What? Well…I mean, I don't know. Do we have to dress up?" She asked uncertainly, scratching the back of her neck.

"Only if you want to. But I think I speak for all of Elfsburg when I say that it would be great even if you just showed up," he told her, and Ellington couldn't help but smile.

"That's sweet of you. I'll see what I can do, okay? I mean, my powers are a little sensitive to large crowds right now, so it's kind of pushing the envelope. But you know as well as I do that I aim to please." She gave him a wink and a grin, the grin growing when she noticed that his cheeks had flushed considerably. "Is that a blush I see?" she teased.

"No," Bernard said, his tone conciliatory. Still, he was smirking as he pulled his beanie further down over the now pink tips of his elven ears. "Just a little nippy out here, that's all."

"Uh huh. I think I got under your skin there for a minute," Ellington joked, chuckling.

"You wish, kiddo."

" _Kiddo_? Ugh, now you're sounding like Jack." She made a face, hating how it sounded coming from him before she gave him a sideways look. "Besides, if you want to pull the age card I have no problem with calling you gramps."

Bernard shook his head. "Sheesh, give a guy a break, would ya? I'm still young by elven standards, you know. Besides, I've never been married, so 'gramps' is a bit of a stretch."

Ellington sighed in mock defeat. "Point taken. You _are_ still pretty youthful, aren't you?"

"Oh, give it a rest."

She peered at Bernard closely and was pretty sure she saw his cheeks darken a shade. "But no matter. I'll just have to come up with a better nickname. You know, besides the obvious ones that you hate."

"Why does everyone want to give me nicknames?" Bernard muttered in exasperation, which only made her laugh.

"Hey, if you get to call me 'Elle' it's only fair that I get to call you by something less formal than 'Bernard'," she said with a carefree shrug. The whole conversation had them both in smiles, so she didn't feel like dropping it quite yet. Seeing Bernard genuinely smile was a treat she didn't like to pass up on.

"You've got a point," the elf admitted as they turned onto yet another winding street. "Just don't rush it, find one that's worth the time it's takes to come up with."

"Good idea." Truthfully, she didn't know what kind of a nickname suited him. She certainly didn't want it to be one that he found annoying, so she decided to keep the idea in the back of her head until she stumbled across something worthwhile.

Her attention was grabbed by the sudden appearance of a better view—chiefly, that of the outlying areas surrounding the town. To her complete surprise and shock, she noticed a thick, dark layer of stormy, disturbed looking clouds lying close around the base of the frozen walls of the dome protecting the Pole. "What are _those_?" she asked, accidentally cutting Bernard off mid sentence in her bewilderment.

He followed her gaze out and looked a bit disturbed, if not resigned. "The clouds?"

"What else is completely ominous and out-of-place? Of course the clouds, if you can call them that. That looks like a straight up storm." Ellington frowned, feeling an uncomfortable pull at the front of her mind in the direction of the force.

"If it is, it's a very slow brewing one. We've been guessing at what it is for months, but no luck."

"Why hasn't anyone gone to see what it is?"

"Scott didn't feel it was safe to send anyone," Bernard replied calmly, almost too calmly if being honest. But then his expression shifted into an uncomfortable scowl, and he tilted his head at the sight. "It's been making us all pretty uncomfortable—those of us who can see it, that is. Mother Nature put some sort of a glamour spell on it early this fall, so that the elves wouldn't worry so close to the holiday season. Frost said it isn't harming the integrity of the Polar Ice Caps, so we're at a loss for what it could be. But the odds point to something magical rather than natural."

Ellington only nodded, feeling some kind of intense foreboding just from looking at them. While she knew they couldn't possibly be her doing or fault, she couldn't push the crawling, icky feeling away. They both stood there for a few moments as if transfixed by the dark clouds with lightning flashing deep within intermittently, and the worrying possibility of what they could hold. Eventually she gave a shiver and sighed, trying to shake her focus away from them. "Anyway. Back to business?"

From then on there was no more talk of nicknames or jokes, the atmosphere suddenly quite serious. Ellington found her thoughts worried and unclear as she walked in silence, failing to notice that Bernard had unconsciously begun to walk a good pace and a half closer to her. Whatever that cloud was, it was weighing heavily on her, and she didn't like it one bit. She had enough on her mind already.

* * *

She found herself relatively distracted for the rest of the evening and the days to follow, paying close attention to everything Bernard was showing her. It seemed that now that he'd posed the question of her becoming an elf (and his second hand to boot) he was a lot more concerned with explaining things than he'd been before. Ellington found herself completely engrossed in each task and place and subject, so much so that she soon found her time split exclusively three ways: between Jack and his lessons, Bernard and his, and helping whichever elf had asked her for her help on the side. She was so busy that she didn't find herself returning to her room more than once in any given day, and only then at around nine pm in an attempt to get some sleep before the whole schedule started over.

Needless to say, she was beyond grateful for the distractions. If she hadn't had them, she thought she might be out of her mind with worry by now. Between being unsure of how her father's health was faring, and unable to spend time with Annise or Dottie because of them not wanting to see her, and worry that she might slip up and do something with her telepathy that she might regret, she was spread thin emotionally. But having a good number of tasks and a very busy schedule seemed to be enough to keep her preoccupied for the time being.

About a few nights later found her in her room at around ten thirty pm. The room was otherwise quiet, but she didn't hear the knock that sounded on her door over the her music.

' _Elle? You decent?_ ' jogged Ellington from her train of thought, causing her to look up from her laptop.

"Yeah, come in!" she called a bit too loudly, her hearing still impaired from her headphones. Bernard came into the room a few moments later to find her sitting on her bed, nodding her head to something while typing furiously. She was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, hair tied up in a messy bun as if she'd intended to go to bed, but had decided against it in the end.

' _Can't sleep?_ ' Bernard asked, smirking slightly at how engrossed she seemed to be.

"Hmm?" Ellington looked up again and seemed to register for the first time that he was in the room. She took the headphones off, the noise increasing slightly before she pressed a button on her phone and they went silent. "Sorry, the music helps me keep my thoughts straight." She glanced back at the computer before rubbing at her forehead. "Ah, well, not exactly. I was going to, but then I remembered that I promised James in programming that since I know a bit of coding, I'd take a look at his script for the hovercraft he's been trying to build. His command lines are a bit off…" She trailed off, sighing tiredly and pushing her computer away. "Yeah. I can't sleep."

"I'm starting to notice any time Jack tells you about a council meeting you don't sleep well that night," Bernard said pointedly, sitting down at the end of the bed.

"You know that Jack's been telling me about the council meetings?" Ellington asked, squinting in suspicion.

"Who did you think's been turning him in for it, Tooth Fairy? I'm the one with eyes and ears everywhere. But that's not what's important here."

Ellington shrugged helplessly. "What can I say? The thought of the unknown is a great insomniac." She hid her face in her hands before sighing again and running them down her face. "But that can't be why you came here. What brings you by this part of the workshop at this time of night?"

"To put your mind at ease, in a manner of speaking." Bernard didn't look like he was happy with what he was about to say, which led Ellington to believe it was bad news. She wasn't wrong. "There's no point in you staying up all night worrying when I can just tell you that nothing was decided. The council adjourned with a slight spat between Easter Bunny and Cupid, and everyone's gone home for the weekend."

Ellington merely nodded along to his words, looking a little vacant before she sighed and snapped her laptop closed with a bit more force than was necessary. "That's—great. Freaking great. Thanks for sugar coating." She tossed it to the other end of the bed, frustration and exhaustion clear on her face as she slumped back against the pillows.

"I'm not exactly the best at giving bad news, sorry," the elf admitted, feeling Elle's unruly emotions mentally and inwardly kicking himself for not telling her in a gentler way.

"What's the point in beating around the bush, anyway? Doesn't change the facts." Ellington closed her eyes and sighed again. "Honestly, you'd think that they'd get more done, considering how many of them there are. But the squabbling slows things down to a glacial pace, doesn't it?"

"These things take time, Elle," Bernard reminded her, but seeing her sideways gaze, he raised his eyes to the ceiling. "But yes, if they could manage to get through a meeting without bickering to the point of distraction, I'm sure things would move faster. Mother Nature does her best at keeping them in check, though."

Ellington didn't reply at first, simply curling onto her side and staring at the far wall. "Have Dottie and Annise been told yet?"

"As far as I know, Charlie's been the one keeping them in the loop. But they've already gone to bed. I'm sure he'll bring them up to speed in the morning."

Ellington remained silent for a few more moments, and try though he might Bernard couldn't seem to get a sense of what she was feeling—though he assumed worry and disappointment played a great part in it. Eventually her gaze shifted back down to him, her eyes shiny with tears and her voice giving away the fact that she was about to cry. "Thank you for telling me. Even if it wasn't good news, I'm at least glad I know what's going on."

Bernard didn't know how to reply, since he certainly wasn't about to feel alright with the fact that he'd only made her more anxious and even more heartbroken. "Don't mention it," he said, watching her with concern. "Have you tried talking to your sisters again?"

"They see me coming and they walk the other way. Doesn't exactly make for a great conversation starter," Ellington murmured unhappily into her pillow. "I don't know if they're pissed or genuinely afraid of me. I haven't exactly gotten the ability to mentally read other's emotions down yet. It's…messy." She turned her face against the pillow, shutting her eyes tightly. "I um, I think I should try and get some sleep now. Have a good night, Bernard."

Bernard wasn't stupid. He knew that Ellington had no intention of trying to sleep—but then again, she was remarkably transparent. So although he knew that she was practically telling him to leave, he also knew that there was no way that was the right thing to do. He knew how hard it was for her to try and control her emotions, what with everything going on with her family, and the fact that her telepathy could cause damage if she didn't made it even more straining. It wasn't fair that her sisters were scared of her or refusing to talk to her, because it left her to handle all of this on her own and while she was indeed extremely, remarkably capable, well…that didn't mean she deserved to struggle through it all by herself.

"Nah." Before Ellington could think about what he meant by that, his weight shifted up on the bed. When she pulled her face away from the pillow her eyes were blurry with unshed tears, but she could clearly see him sitting next to her. "You don't have to do this alone. Not tonight." He gave her a knowing look, and to her complete surprise he had his arms open, as if to hug her.

"Really? You're going to stay here with me?" Elle asked, her tone flat and disbelieving as she sat up. Bernard's expression grew a little more stubborn.

"Why not?" After a moment, he reconsidered and put his arms down. "I mean, if you'd rather I didn't, I'll clear out. Otherwise, I think being alone is just about the worst thing when you're upset, isn't it?"

Damn, he had a good read on her.

"Well," she grumbled, mostly from embarrassment as she rubbed at her nose. "I mean, I wouldn't mind if you _did_ stay…"

She was surprised to find herself rather comfortable when he got settled in beside her, leaning with his back against the headboard as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Elle," he told her, his words reassuring and kind. She wasn't used to this kind of affection from him, but she wasn't in any place to question it. It had been weeks since she'd really been close to anyone, and considering how stressful and emotionally tolling things were, it was a bigger deal than it should have been. Hugs were good for sad people, after all, and she was in short supply of hugs for all the sad she had. Of course, she never would have expected Bernard to be the one to comfort her, no matter how bad the situation. She had realized some time ago that there was a lot more to him than just a bossy, overworked elf, but this was something else entirely. Something new.

Maybe it had something to do with being so comfortable with Ellington's presence mentally, but Bernard couldn't be sure of why he was taking a risk like this. Was it possible it was somehow tied to his being her chaperone? Quite possibly. It was his job to try and keep her happy, if he was able. But then again, he had a strange feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on. This went a little above and beyond keeping a guest happy. If that were true, then why didn't he get up and leave her to sort out her own emotions? The very idea made him feel awful, so he stuck with his initial instinct and regardless of how it came off to anyone else, he stayed.

She wasn't sure at what point she started actually crying, or when she tucked her face against his shoulder. He didn't seem to mind though, simply pulling her a little closer. She seemed to like it when he stroked her hair, and somehow he ended up holding her hand partway through, but he wasn't complaining (which was odd in of itself, come to think of it.) By the time her sobs had subsided into quiet, sad sniffles, she had nearly worn herself completely out.

It was surprising that she hadn't lost control of her delicate hold on her telepathy, and wasn't suffering from a crippling headache by now. She owed that to Bernard, she realized, suddenly conscious of the fact that he was the only person who could be said to be able to talk her down from her "incidents". She really didn't deserve to ask that of him. It wasn't his job to keep her in check, when it came to her powers. But she was too worn out to truly feel guilty, and she had to admit the comfort of another person made her unwilling to start an argument and ruin the mood.

Still, she made to sit up, not wanting to keep Bernard any longer than she already had (which was embarrassing enough.) When she tried to move his arm tightened slightly around her, and she looked up in bleary eyed confusion.

"Don't you even think about staying up now," he scolded her gently, and she couldn't help but smile a tiny bit. "Promise you'll actually sleep, and not stay up working again?"

"You do that all the time, don't you?" Elle pointed out, her voice soft and scratchy. Bernard tilted his head, conceding her point.

"True. But now isn't exactly the time to be using me as a role model." He then let her go, just enough to lay down and get comfortable in bed. He remained sitting next to her watching her with fond concern.

"Well, I think you're pretty amazi—I mean, a pretty good role model." She seemed to have cried herself out, and to the point where she was as uninhibited as she'd been in the Elfirmary. Apparently, loopy and sleepy Elle had a lot in common. It was strange, seeing her that way, and a little amusing how she spoke her mind so plainly.

"Is it alright if I stay until you fall asleep?" Once she had gotten into the covers and laid down, he picked up the hand she'd left on top of her pillow, causing her to raise her eyebrows in wordless surprise.

"I didn't think...but don't you…" She sighed, shutting her eyes. "I'd like that."

"Okay then."

"Bernard?"

The elf looked down at her. "Yeah?"

Elle gave a tired smile. "Thank you. For everything."

"Ah, don't mention it." His thumb rubbed soothing circles into the back of her hand as he mused on how strange it was that she trusted him this way, and on how far they'd come since that first, rough day they'd had. Elves were naturally rather trustworthy and humans tended to pick up on that, but this wasn't quite what he felt was happening here. Not that he was able to put a finger on what he felt was actually going on, because that would have been nice. By the time he thought to look down again, she was fast asleep. The expression on her face was relatively peaceful, eyelashes casting shadows onto her cheeks as her chest rose and fell in gentle swells.

The sight made him smile, his own sense of sleepiness finally beginning to kick in. He carefully let of her hand of her hand, placing it back onto the pillow beside her as he clicked off the lamp.

"Sweet dreams, Elle."

* * *

 **(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ｡･:*:･ﾟANGST｡･:*:･ﾟ**

 **How's everyone doing? Need some tissues, a barf bag, a hug? Thought I'd check in.**

 **Reviews and feedback are always appreciated!**

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	8. Chapter 8

_8_.

Even with Bernard's careful handling, Ellington still needed several extra shots of espresso in her cocoa the next morning. To her surprise, not everyone was so staunch on their views on coffee, she'd found. Judy, who managed a placed called Elfsburg Grille just off of the town square and also the regular fleet of cocoa elves, had a nice, neat little stash of different exotic coffee beans behind the counter. In fact, she'd seemed a little surprised by Ellington's hesitance to ask for them.

"Of course we have coffee," she said, eyebrows raising in surprise. "We've had our share of human guests by now, and anyway, Santa and Mrs. Claus often get a hankering for something a little stronger than cocoa." She'd taken down Ellington's order with a series of nods, giving her a great big smile and promising to have it ready in a jiffy. Not for the first time, Ellington mentally lauded the kindness of elves.

Speaking of kindness, she was still having quite the hard time coming to terms with what had happened the night before. She wasn't sure why; it wasn't such a stretch to imagine that Bernard was capable of comforting a crying person, was it? Still, some part of her mind refused to think about it so simplistically. He didn't have to make time for her like he did. So, why did he? At this point, he was much more than just her chaperone: he was her _friend_ —though, she didn't know how he would react to that title.

But she tried not to let that take up too large of a portion of her mind. From what Ellington could see, most of the workshop really was gearing up for the Halloween party that she'd been told about. Given that it was now only a week until the holiday hit, things were starting to make a shift from the cheerful and bright to the spooky. She had seen decorating elves going around Elfsburg and changing bulbs in the lights, turning them from warm colors to dull, muted ones. It gave the whole town a haunted, eerie effect, and was generally quite impressive.

What she didn't know was that the visible changes around town weren't the only spooky thing going on. For Bernard, the matter of his ring box was taking on a new life of its own. The damned thing had started moving itself around again, popping up in various places around the workshop like a frenetic warning of things to come. It irritated him to no end, setting him on edge and making him seem a bit secretive, as he kept having to shove it back into his pocket or his bag throughout various points of the day without making the elves suspicious.

He wanted it to stop. His conversation with Cupid that morning had been foreboding, at best. The cherub had apparently been well aware of his predicament, finding it oddly funny even after Bernard had assured him it was no laughing matter.

"On the contrary," the figure of love had replied, rather flippantly. "It's pretty laughable to see you trying to dodge the bullet—or arrow, as is the case—when it comes to finding your special someone. That is why you came to see me, isn't it? To wiggle your way out of whatever this little box means for your future?"

Bernard spluttered helplessly for a few moments, taken aback and wanting a rebuttal before scowling and huffing. " _No,_ " he replied irritably, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I came to see you because I need to know why this is happening to me. You're the legendary of love, so I figured maybe you knew why I'm being ghosted by this, this _thing_." He pulled the box out, the red velvet item cradled in his palm. Cupid fluttered forward, taking it from him and examining it closely. "Last time I checked, this wasn't the way you play matchmaker."

"Well I hate to break it to you, buddy, but this isn't my work," he said eventually, his face betraying yet again how amusing he found the whole situation. "But what I will tell you is that it seems like one of my predecessors set something up with old Saint Nick. This has been a long time comin', from the looks of things."

"No, no. That can't be right." Bernard's eyes went wide in disbelief. "This isn't something he would do, not to me at least." His tone was absolute, unwilling to even _consider_ what Cupid was suggesting.

"Just telling it like it is." The man tossed the box back to Bernard, the elf fumbling to catch it without dropping it.

"I don't believe you. And even if I did, the idea is _absurd_." Bernard tried the lid for what must have been the thousandth time, but as usual it remained clamped tightly shut. Hve groaned, swiping a hand down his face. "I guess this is what I get for coming to you for advice. I should have just dealt with this on my own."

"You're looking at this the wrong way," Cupid replied calmly, crossing his arms. "I mean, how long have you been a bachelor? Almost seventeen hundred years? Maybe it's _time_ for a change in your love life, ya know? Time to spice things up."

"I don't want to spice things up! I do _not_ need any additional spice in my life!"

"Well in that case, you _could_ use a little sugar." The legendary winked, which only served to make the elf's eyes nearly bug out of his head. "Hey, take it easy there. It might be easier than you think. You can't tell me that you don't have your eye on some nice little elfess somewhere, right?" Seeing Bernard's blank look, Cupid sighed. "That's right, you're a workaholic. I'd forgotten. You tellin' me you don't have any sort of attraction to _anybody_?"

Bernard shrugged, his cheeks tinging bright pink as he stuttered a reply. "I, I mean, head elf is a full time job! It doesn't leave a lot of spare time for socializing, and lately any spare time I have I'm spending with Elle."

"Elle?" Cupid looked confused for a moment before realization dawned on his face. "Oh, the oldest Connelly girl, right." He paused, gears turning in his mind before a small smile crossed his lips. "Well, there's always the possibility that you just haven't realized who or what you're lookin' for. Happens all the time in my line of business. Don't stress yourself too much, okay pal? It'll happen, when it happens."

"It'll happen, when it happens," Bernard sneered unhappily under his breath, keeping a watchful eye on the conveyor belts being replaced in the stuffing area. So far, the only thing that was happening was the headache the whole situation was giving him. He closed his eyes, rubbing wearily at the bridge of his nose. Was it just him or was everybody working too slowly today?

"Hey, you alright?" A warm hand landed on his shoulder, snapping him to attention. A wash of comfort crept over his mind, immediately soothing some of his bad mood. Finally, someone who could help.

"Santa," Bernard said, clearly relieved by his arrival. Scott took one look at his face and knew something was wrong.

"Something's got your tinsel in a tangle this morning," he noted, crossing his arms and standing beside his number one. Bernard only shrugged, but Scott gave him a sideways look. "This wouldn't have to do with the conversation you had with Cupid, is it?"

"How did you find out about that?" Bernard asked with a groan, as Scott broke into a knowing grin.

"Cupid thought I should have a fair warning as to why you were going to be moody for at least a few weeks. Seems like you've got a little bit of a mystery sweetheart, now dontcha?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Bernard groused, the tips of his ears growing a little red at the directness of Scott's tone. When he put it like that, it really did seem that concrete of a predicament.

"Sure. Not talking about it seems to be doing wonders for your already cheery disposition." Scott rolled his eyes. "Cupid does have a point. Maybe it's for the best, you know? Who knows, being in love might suit you."

"Santa." Bernard grabbed the legendary by the elbow and led him away from the working elves to a quieter corner of the room. "Listen, you and I both know that I don't have time to balance work and some sort of a relationship. It just isn't realistic. I don't have time to force someone to fall in love with me!"

"Well with the right person you wouldn't have to force them," Scott replied pointedly. "I can only assume that the person who's right for you would compliment you somehow, and not need _convincing_. Besides, didn't you say the same thing about not being able to make time for anything besides work when the girls arrived? And look at you now! I hardly see you anymore without Ellington joined to your hip."

"Ah—well—but—that's different!" Bernard snapped, scowling at Scott's knowing look. "Elle has, by some sort of miracle, turned out to be a big help to me—to all of us. I can't even begin to point out all she's done to help keep the workshop running smoothly, and considering how much she already has on her plate? It's astonishing. I'd be a fool not to keep her close."

"So it would seem," Scott replied distantly, an unreadable if not suspicious look on his face. Before either of them could continue their conversation, however, Carol swept into the workshop, a small queue of decorating elves in tow. They were all carrying various Halloween decorations, clearly intent on bringing the spooky vibe all the way into the heart of the workshop. Scott broke into a grin, waving at his wife. "Did Carol tell you that the preparations for the Halloween party are really coming together? If things continue on schedule, we should be having a real haunting thirty first, if you know what I mean."

"I don't know that it isn't detracting from the big picture," Bernard said, mildly skeptical. "We are only two months from day zero and all."

"Well, it does wonders for morale." Both Scott and Bernard turned to see Ellington coming up behind them, an armful of folders pressed to her chest. "You should see what Engineering has been coming up with since the music changed for the holiday. It's…electrifying." She held out the files to Scott with a tentative smile. "Curtis asked if I'd give you these? Something about 'weekly activity reports'. Said you'd need them right away."

"Oh, thank you." Scott seemed a little surprised, mainly because of how natural it felt to have her helping. Maybe Bernard had a point, after all. "Everything going well with Jack and your lessons?"

Ellington gave a surprisingly calm and confident nod. "Things are shaping up pretty nicely. For all his bluster, Jack isn't a half bad teacher. The things he's showed me have allowed me to get a pretty solid grip on my new…skill set," she finished, choosing her words carefully. That was another thing Jack was drilling into her head: that her abilities were both a skill and a gift. She needed to stop treating it as though she'd contracted the plague.

"Good to hear. I have to admit, I was more than a little concerned when I voted yes, but I'm relieved to see that it's all working out smoothly." Scott sifted through the files, while Ellington's attention shifted to what Carol and the elf crew was working on.

"Things really are getting festive around here, aren't they?" She said with a slight smile. "It's funny to see you guys trying to get your creepy on."

"What's so funny about it?" Bernard asked, intrigued, but Elle merely chuckled.

"Because the majority of the elves seem to think along the 'cute' line rather than scary, that's all. For example, have you seen the cookies being baked in the kitchen? Downright cuddly looking ghosts. Makes good old Casper look vicious." She shook her head in amusement. "Then again, it's probably to be expected, given where we are. I just think it's endearing that there's going to be a celebration at all."

"Well what can I say? Carol and I thought it was only right to go all out, considering Halloween is the only major holiday you girls will get to experience here—besides _our_ big day, of course," Scott replied with a grin.

"I'm sure it's very much appreciated," Ellington replied with a smile and a duck of her head. She couldn't really speak for her sisters, since they still refused to speak to her outright, but she was trying to stay positive. A sharp whistle caught her attention and she found a group of elves huddled over a table, a few of them waving her over and calling her name. Her smile grew slightly determined, her shoulders squaring. "Sorry, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm wanted over here." She nodded politely at Santa and ducked into the crowd, her height setting her a good head above everyone else. She paused after a few steps though, turning back.

"Oh and B?"

Bernard raised his eyebrows expectantly.

Elle smiled. "Don't forget to take a lunch break. You missed breakfast again, don't think I didn't notice."

"How'd you know that?"

She rolled her eyes, tapping the side of her head. "Remember? It's kind of my thing to know stuff."

"Right. I will."

She went off, leaving Bernard with a funny little smile on his face. He wasn't the only one, he soon realized. Scott was smirking like the cat who got the cream.

"What is it," the head elf asked, unenthused.

"You sure you two aren't dating?"

"With all due respect sir, elf off."

Bernard and Scott both watched the group of elves welcome her in, offering her a pair of protective goggles and pointing and gesturing at whatever was on the table. "She really does fit in here, doesn't she?" Scott murmured thoughtfully, and Bernard gave a little nod, sighing quietly.

"I'll be sad to see her go. She has a way with the elves that I wish I could say we didn't need around here. You've seen the morale reports I sent you?"

"Absolutely. We'll be hard pressed to find someone that can do what she does. But then, she's only been volunteering her help, hasn't she? It's remarkable the improvement we've seen on the floor and in production, just from one person."

"Well, the right person in the right place…" Bernard said, trailing off with a meaningful shrug. "Can make all the difference. But you knew that."

* * *

"Ellington!" The voice that called out to her on her way out from the workshop was a familiar one, but it took until Elle turned around for her to fully identify who it belonged to.

"Mrs. Claus? What can I do for you?" she asked, immediately assuming that something must be wrong.

"Don't be silly, it's not something you can do for me," Carol chided gently, setting a hand on her shoulder. "I just wanted to know if you'd gotten a chance to take a walk past the boutique downtown. They've gotten in a big shipment of costumes and such and I thought you'd want one for the party tonight."

"Uh, no… I hadn't heard about that," Ellington admitted with a faintly confused smile. She still hadn't completely made up her mind if she was going to attend or not, but now that she found herself accountable to Mrs. Claus, she found that she didn't want to disappoint her. She scratched awkwardly at the back of her neck. "I've been pretty busy, but if you think it's that important, I'll try to stop by later this afternoon. Is that alright?"

Carol gave a decisive nod. "Four o clock then. Don't be late?" There was something in her gaze that told Elle it wouldn't be wise to argue, so she didn't. Instead, she forced an easy smile.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Ellington watched the woman leave, seeming relatively content. She suddenly realized that she hadn't gotten to interact with her a lot, which was actually quite regrettable. She'd been so busy _staying_ busy that she'd probably missed out on a lot of friendships—though, admittedly, she now knew so many more people than she would have expected to meet on this trip. All the time she was spending in the workshop helping was paying off in that she was able to name a great number of the elves she saw pass her every day.

Still, as fun as it was to have the elves know her on a first name basis (and vice versa,) she keenly missed the closeness of her own family—chiefly, of her sisters. This past few weeks should have been a time of reconnection and happiness, even in spite of their troubles. But thanks to Ellington's 'awakening', Dottie and Annise were staying as far from her as possible, and while it was in Elle's nature to dismiss that with a shrug and a sad smile, inside it tore her up. She felt terribly alone, even when surrounded by familiar faces. She just wished that things could have been different, even though it was too late to change anything-or at least, it felt that way.

Four o' clock found Elle traipsing her way towards the boutique Carol had spoken of, the directions scrolled messily on her palm in her own handwriting. She hadn't had time for much else, as she'd been in R and D most of the afternoon and in fact, still smelled faintly of hot electrical wires to prove it. Still, slightly smutty but no less determined to meet her time frame, she stumbled upon the shop a few minutes after four—and smack into Dottie.

"Oopmh!" Dottie tumbled backward a step, looking a bit offended before her eyes landed on her sister and widened. Elle, equally shocked, lifted her hands in a placating gesture to try and calm her before she freaked out completely, but to her surprise, Dottie broke into a smile and pulled her in for a hug.

"Oh?" Ellington froze in her sister's grip for a moment before relaxing slightly and hugging back. "It's good to see you too!"

"You act as though you're surprised to see us here," Annise said, and Ellington looked over to find her peeking out of the shop door, a few costumes in arm. Seeing Ellington's confusion didn't falter, Annise chuckled. "Let me guess, Mrs. C didn't tell you we were going to be meeting you?"

"Not exactly," Elle admitted shyly, flushing pink up to her ears. Dottie only gave a shrug.

"Hey, if you'd known, you might not have shown up. You know, after ignoring us for as long as you have." She gave her older sister a nudge, but it was the statement that made Ellington frown.

"What do you mean, 'ignoring us'? You guys are the ones who've been steering clear of me all these weeks!" Ellington protested, and Annise seemed to grow a bit concerned.

"Easy, Els. Don't get worked up, you know, with…" She tapped the side of her head. Ellington frowned deeper but nodded, knowing she was right. "Hey. They have hot apple cider in here…why don't you come inside, and we can figure this out?"

Mutely, Elle followed Dottie into the shop. She didn't know if this was a wise idea, but she was out of any other options since walking away entirely felt way too final for the situation. It was warmer inside, the softly lit interior smelling faintly spicy and welcoming and settling Ellington's jumpy nerves a bit. These were the two people she trusted most in nearly all the world. Why was she so nervous around them? Maybe it was also because of everyone in the world, their opinion of her mattered most.

"We thought you didn't want to see us," Dottie clarified, leading the way through the racks of costumes and other Halloween stuffs. "After what happened that night at dinner, we thought you needed sometime to yourself, to sort out what was happening to you—especially after Bernard explained what exactly that was. I mean, telepathy? That's not just a headache, that's a freaking _superpower_ , Ellington."

"Doesn't always feel that way," Ellington admitted, taking a seat at the table Annise had led them to. It was small, elf sized for sure, but still had enough room for three chairs around it. "And I did need some time to sort things out, but I never wanted to ignore you two. I mean, to be honest…I really missed you both." Annise reached out and set her hand over Ellington's, making her smile a little and tears jump to her eyes.

"We missed you too," she reassured her. "But Jack warned us that if you didn't keep your focus on learning how to control your powers, you might have another incident."

"Wait, _Jack_ told you to stay away from me?"

Dottie nodded. "Not in as many words, but he did say that giving you some time to come to terms with your abilities was a wise idea—and that you were in a bit of a grumpy mood to begin with."

"That's why we kept our distance, in the end," Annise agreed wholeheartedly.

"I will admit, getting a handle on my own head took a lot of work and practice," Ellington said with a frown. "But I've got it pretty well under control now. And if I was grumpy, it was because I was missing you two!" She didn't understand why Jack would do such a thing, but she resolved to ask him the very next time she saw him—and _harshly_. She'd wasted weeks when Annise and Dottie had been missing her just as much as she'd been missing them! Still, with all three of them reconciled and laughing together in a cozy little shop in downtown Elfsburg, it hardly seemed to matter.

"So, you're doing alright then?" Ellington finally asked tentatively, when they all had steaming mugs of spiced cider in their hands. The question was mainly aimed at Dottie, who had been in a rather unhappy and bitter place the last time Elle had seen her. Dottie rolled her eyes, clearly unamused by the edgy question, but Annise smiled proudly, so Ellington knew it was alright.

"In a manner of speaking, yeah. Annise kind of brought me around—Curtis, Charlie and Buddy played their parts as well. They've really been showing us a good time, in spite of the situation you've been in. We've been trying out new toys, ice skating, sledding, the works. Even I have to admit, it's been fun." Dottie shrugged once more, but she was smiling. Ellington had to admit, it was a relief and a treat to see her sister smiling genuinely again. "But enough about me and my bad attitude problems, what's up with this Halloween party? We're at the North Pole, it's not really their holiday now is it? What's with the celebration?"

"From what Santa's told me, it's mostly for our sake," said Ellington, warming her hands on the side of her mug. Around them, elves were shopping for costumes of their own, apparently getting into the festive mood. True to her earlier remarks to Bernard, though, their ideas of costumes weren't exactly very scary…but it was the thought that counted, she supposed? "They want to show us how magical holidays really are, since a lot of the effect gets lost among humans—or something like that."

"Sounds good to me," Annise admitted cheerfully, and both of her older siblings nodded. "You guys have any ideas for what you want your costume to be? I've taken a peek around, and there are a _lot_ of options. Although…" She looked around again. "I haven't seen anything fandom related? I've been trying to find a Rapunzel costume without any luck

"Well, why don't we start by asking the experts?" Dottie suggested, finishing her drink and rising from the small table. "Hey, Penelope! Do you guys have anything a little less generic and a lot more Disney?" The elf behind the counter broke into a grin, eagerly waving the girl in the right direction.

"Absolutely! Follow me."

Annise was quick to join them, Ellington rising lastly almost as if in a daze. She was still in shock that things had just been all but resolved between the three of them, and in such an effortless, painless way. Even if this Halloween party was a total flop, she'd already gotten something amazing out of it: her family, slowly but surely, was going to be okay.

* * *

But the party wasn't a flop. Not entirely, that is. True, it was a bit less scary than it could have been, but the effort was definitely there and in the end, the fact that everyone was having a good time was all that mattered.

"Has anyone seen Elle lately?" Bernard asked, snagging Curtis by the sleeve at some point later on in the evening. Curtis nodded, finishing his mouthful of cookie before replying with a shrug. "Sure. Jack came to get her sometime after her turn on the tables. Haven't seen her since."

"Well do you know why Jack came to get her?"

Curtis frowned. "What do I look like, her chaperone? I thought you'd know. She did look angry with him, though. What have you been up to, anyway?"

With an annoyed snort, Bernard rolled his eyes. He'd taken a few moments to lock his ring box in a safe within his office closet, since it had taken to literally dropping on him from above—from a balcony, a window, what seemed to be straight out of a sprig of mistletoe, straight out of the sky... He'd quickly gotten tired of the charade and had taken drastic action that he could only hope would combat whatever magic was driving the infernal thing. "I was dealing with something, lost track of time. I just hope it's nothing serious." He looked up at the balcony where Archie's setup was, hoping against the odds to see Elle there. When he didn't, a nagging worry settled in his gut. "Keep an eye on Annise and Dottie, okay? I know Charlie's here too, but it would make me feel better to know you're paying attention. I need to find out what's going on with Jack and Elle."

"Sure thing." Curtis said, sounding more than a little surprised as Bernard turned to weave his way back through the crowd. After a few paces though, the head elf seemed to reassess the long walk as he vanished in a shower of sparks. He was surprised that Bernard seemed to be so concerned, especially since Elle and Jack had been working together all the time. Wasn't it likely that she was having a rough time with her telepathy, and he'd pulled her away to lend her a hand? Given that it wasn't really any of his business, Curtis merely shook his head and turned his attention back to the party—and mainly, on where the other two Connelly sisters were. It seemed that Annise made a convincing Rapunzel, and was being dragged by Buddy towards the haunted house that had been set up just off the square. Dottie had apparently come as her namesake, Dorothy from _The Wizard of Oz_ , and the elves seemed to find her ruby slippers quite the conversation piece. They both seemed to be having the time of their lives, oblivious to anything having gone wrong.

When Bernard reappeared, he wasn't too surprised to find himself in the middle of Santa's study—he'd locked onto wherever Scott was, in a manner of speaking. What he was surprised to find was that all of the rest of the council of Legendaries, whom he'd thought were still out in the party scene he'd left outside, were gathered for the umpteenth time around the room in various chairs and seats available.

An apology for the intrusion was on the tip of his tongue as soon as he realized the gravity of the mood in the room, but Scott seemed relieved. "Bernard, thank goodness you showed up. We were beginning to think we'd need to send Jack back out to find you, as well."

"I came because Curtis said he saw Jack leaving with Elle—Ellington," Bernard corrected himself, with a slight frown. "I wanted to make sure she's alright, he said she was angry, and she wasn't responding to me when I tried to contact her mentally." Seeing the grave looks on all of the present council members, Bernard's eyes widened slightly. "She _is_ alright, isn't she?"

"In a manner of speaking." Jack stood in the doorway for a moment, viewing the head elf with a mixed look of disdain and mistrust before he stepped fully into the room and closed the stained glass door behind him. "Given the situation, I'd say she's got a lot on her mind. Responding to you wasn't a top priority."

Bernard scowled, his eyebrows drawing together in an irritable line as his mouth opened with what was no doubt a biting retort. But before he could reply, Scott cut him off. "What's really important here," he said firmly, redirecting the conversation with executive ease, "is the decision we're facing. Specifically, the terms Ellington has set forth. It's kind of a game changer—and really, I'm not entirely sure how it would work."

"What do you mean?" Bernard asked, looking around at the somber faces in the room. "What happened since the last meeting? I didn't realize the council was in session. Why is everyone in here, instead of out there with the rest of the party?"

"I received word back from Fate." It was Mother Nature who spoke, rising from her place on the loveseat beside Father Time. "As we expected, his approach to the situation with Phillip Connelly's health situation and outcome is rather…hands off. But he did let drop one particular tidbit of information that I found intriguing: that overall, a life cannot be spared without dire consequences. After all, the scales of Life and Death are delicate ones, and must be kept in a gentle if chaotic balance."

"What does that mean? He won't do anything to help?" Seeing her expression, Bernard's face fell dramatically. "Oh. _Oh_."

"It's not as if it's much _like_ him to soil his hands actually _doing_ his job," Jack said pointedly, gesturing flippantly at the concept. Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy both murmured their quiet agreements. "I of all people would know a shirker when I see one."

"But," Mother Nature interjected, holding up a finger, "it does pose an interesting question: one that Ellington seemed very keen to have answered." She looked to Father Time, who arched an eyebrow in surprise at his being called upon before sighing softly and speaking.

"If it is a matter of keeping the scales of Life and Death balanced," he said, fingers drumming on the wooden handle of his staff, "then is it possible to trade one life, for another?"

"A life for a life?" Bernard repeated, and Mother Nature and Father Time both nodded.

"Just so. For someone to sacrifice themselves in place of another, and spare their life. It's been seen time and time again among mortals— though, they usually don't understand the magical component to such a trade and think it simply protective instinct."

"I don't understand," Bernard said, his face deeply troubled, and Jack sighed.

"I know it's difficult for you to keep up, Beans-for-brains, but do try. There's a lot at stake here, you know."

"Who is supposed to be trading their life for Mr. Connelly's?" Bernard asked directly, narrowing his eyes at Jack. Seeing Jack's nonplussed expression, the elf's stomach did a swan dive. "No. _No_ , she doesn't really think you're going to let her do that, do you?" He ran a hand down his face. "I thought she was smarter than this."

"She's a great deal smarter than you're being right now," Father Time snapped, rather uncharacteristically. Sandman even sprang to attention from a semi-drowsy state, his eyes wide and confused. Bernard's back went ramrod straight, his hands clasping tight at his sides. Jack suppressed an amused smile at the whole scene, if only for the sake of what was on the table. "What Ms. Connelly is suggesting isn't only a trade of her life for her father's, it hinges entirely on an offer you allegedly made her-in private."

"And without my knowledge," Scott interjected, setting his eyes back on Bernard with a great deal of interest. "Or permission, I might add. When did you offer Ellington a position as Number Two Elf?"

If it were possible for Bernard to look even more out-of-sorts, it came over him then. "Wha—I—she told you about that?"

"Answer the question please, Bernard," Mother Nature pressed, gently if not insistently.

Bernard thought back to exactly when he'd propositioned Elle in the first place. "A few weeks ago?" He stammered. "After seeing her come into her own in her new abilities, and seeing how well she handled herself with the elves and around the workshop in general—which Santa can attest to—I asked what her plans were, after all of this died down with her father's health. When she seemed to have only a general idea of what she wanted to do—nothing too concrete—I suggested she might come back here, if she wanted to."

"You _offered the second most coveted position_ in the entirety of the _North Pole_ , to a human girl?" Scott clarified, annunciating each word with disbelief. "Bernard, you don't even like inviting interns into the workshop when we're behind on quotas, or understaffed. Why in the name of Kris Kringle would you do something like that, off the top of your head? That's not like you at all!"

Bernard stammered for a few moments before catching sight of Jack's smug expression and pulling himself together. "Like I _said_ , she has talent. Raw talent, but talent all the same. She has a way with the elves that Curtis never had, even with all of his years in the workshop and brief stint in my position." He drew himself up to his full height, squaring his shoulders staunchly. "I stand by what I said back then. I think if anyone is suited to the position, it's her. Granted, I _did_ warn her that accepting the job would mean that she would need to become an elf—"

"And _that's_ the part of this whole fiasco that we're interested in." Jack tapped his nose and pointed at Bernard. "Is it in fact possible for Ellington to become an elf?"

Bernard scowled. "Well you should know, after you asked her to be your elf as well," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't exactly enjoy the sensation of being on trial, especially not at Jack's behest. "If you're capable of it, you can bet your frosted behind _Santa_ is."

It was Jack's turn to scowl, but Scott merely leaned closer to his head elf. "I am?" he murmured out of the corner of his mouth, causing Bernard to roll his eyes.

"Of course you are," he replied, shaking his head softly. The things that slipped past Scott sometimes, honestly…he'd been Santa for how many years? Almost twenty? You'd think he'd have picked up on most of his wide spread abilities by now, but apparently no such luck.

"So that leaves the important question." Mother Nature gave a reluctant sigh. "Regardless of whatever job offer you want to put on the table or not, are you Scott, willing to take Ellington on as an elf?" Scott remained silent, clearly considering the situation in depth. In case he wasn't taking all angles into consideration though, the goddess of Nature went on. "I'm asking specifically because if you _do_ say yes, her case will definitely be a unique one. She will be completely alone, with no family, no ties to this place other than the ones she's forged over the course of her stay. That's a rough start for anyone—even without considering how heartbreaking losing her loved ones will be."

"It is possible for me to erase her presence from her own timeline, once she is an elf," Father Time pointed out with a frown. "I've been sensing a disturbance in the timestream for a while now, but I couldn't pinpoint the cause of the disruption. That, however, is a discussion for another time. The only point is that this might be the cause of it, my interfering in this matter. If I do this, her parents will not remember her, nor her sisters. She will, in essence, never have existed except as an elf. But she will still keep all of those memories herself. It will be—painful, to say the least."

"Couldn't we just _explain_ to her parents why she's moving North?" Tooth Fairy asked, but Scott shook his head.

"The SOS, remember? It was dangerous enough telling my in-laws about this place. I don't think it's a risk we can take."

There was a long, grim pause, during which everyone seemed to grow even more solemn. Easter Bunny in particular seemed especially moved, swiping a tear away with one paw.

"That's a bad hand to deal Ellington," Scott said finally, reluctance written all over his face. He looked up at Bernard as if searching for reassurance or some sort of argument to the contrary. "Even if she can move past all of that, is it fair to demand that much? Maybe we should just…I don't know…bow out? Say our hands are tied? Anything but this, guys. Anything."

"Those are our only two options," Mother Nature replied, taking her seat again. She didn't seem content in the slightest. "I wish I had more to show, for so many months of effort. It feels like we've wasted so much of their time, if all we're going to do is tell these poor girls that we can't help them."

"But what about the Emissary Clause? I thought that was the whole reason the girls were here in the first place," Easter Bunny stated, clearly befuddled as he wrung his paws nervously.

"The reason I enacted the Emissary Clause was because of their father's condition, not in spite of it," Scott clarified. "If it comes to making a timely decision for the sake of his life, then the choice is obvious."

Cupid seemed a little uncomfortable by this explanation, crossing and re-crossing his ankles midair. Luckily, the rest of the room was too busy to truly notice his behavior slip, all but Bernard, who merely narrowed his eyes in his direction. He was still too displeased with the cherub to truly be interested in his actions, especially trivial ones.

"So it comes down to the choice of do we ruin an entire family because of this, or only one girl?" Jack said, not bothering to mince words. "Come _on_. You can't honestly tell me that the choice isn't obvious to the rest of you!"

"Well it doesn't make it any easier, Jack!" Scott replied, appalled.

"Then why don't you all stop wasting your time debating morals and just ask Ellington yourself?" Jack suggested, his patience clearly wearing thin. "It seems to me that she seemed pretty _for_ the whole idea when she presented it to you!"

"That's Elle all over," Bernard said, his voice tired and resigned. "She'd rather throw herself under the bus then see her whole family fall apart. I know her well enough to know she'd do anything for them. Of course she would say yes." Still, the thought of Ellington in tears, all alone with nobody to care for or love her was enough to tug hard at his heartstrings. She didn't deserve that, even if she was asking for it.

"And what do _you_ think we should do, Bernard?" Scott asked, and all eyes were suddenly on the head elf. "Now that it comes down to the actual choice, do you think asking her to become an elf is fair, if she loses everything she's ever known?"

"No it's not _fair_." Bernard voice cracked on the word, his hands were still tight fists at his sides and his own gaze casting around the room with no small amount of frustration. "Life isn't _fair_. Their father being sick in the first place isn't _fair_. But giving her a chance to make everyone she loves happy instead of miserable? Even if it's at the cost of a great deal of _personal_ happiness? If that's the best solution we can come up with, then we owe it to Ellington to offer it, and _willingly_." Suddenly realizing how forceful and out of line that might have come across as, he cleared his throat. "But that's just my opinion, sir."

Another silence followed, during which Bernard kept his eyes on the floor, mainly to avoid catching sight of Jack's face and wanting to put a fist in it. Even though they were on the same side of things this time around, he still felt a tremendous amount of anger towards the sprite. No doubt the legend had planted the seed of this idea in Elle's mind in the first place, especially considering his own personal regrets.

"Then I accept." Scott's words cut into the silence, startling everyone. At the same time, no one was really surprised by the conclusion he came to after Bernard's little speech. "I'll do whatever it is I need to do, to help her become an elf. Carol and I, and Charlie and Buddy, the whole family— we'll do everything we can to help her adjust. Bernard?" His weary gaze fell to his right. "Can I count on you to keep being a chaperone to her, until she doesn't need it anymore?"

Bernard didn't even hesitate. "Of course."

"If that's your final decision, let's put it to a vote." Mother Nature looked around at the rest of the room. "All in favor of resolving the issue of Phillip Connelly's illness, by means of trading Ellington Connelly's human life for his?"

Reluctantly, every hand in the council went up.

"The vote is carried unanimously." Mother Nature looked equal parts saddened and relieved. Bernard wondered if he'd made the right decision, if Jack had been behind it, but it was too late to reconsider. He just hoped he hadn't let his emotions get the better of his head in all of this.

"With this resolution, consider the meeting adjourned."

* * *

 _'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.'_

This was only one of the countless thoughts running through Ellington's head as she sat outside of Santa's study, hands laced in her lap and her head bowed. She had done all she could to try and reconcile the situation the council had presented her with, but she had no idea if they would listen—or indeed, why they would. She was just a seventeen year old girl from the country who had no right to be telling them—or even suggesting to them—what to do. But she was so desperate, so set on doing anything she could to keep her family in one piece, that she had forgotten her place in a last minute effort to provide a solution.

Jack had seemed pretty impressed by it, even supportive, but that didn't change any of the other minds. Elle wasn't stupid. She knew that more than likely, any minute Jack would emerge and set a cold hand on her shoulder with a sympathetic "Sorry, _mon cher_. It was worth a shot," but she couldn't stop from hoping that something, _anything_ , would bring them around.

The idea of potentially never seeing her family again was quite literally terrifying, the stuff of nightmares. But what Ellington and her entire family had been living before they'd come to the Pole was a nightmare of a reality, and she would gladly do anything she could to avoid the inevitable crash and burn at the end of it—even if it meant that she wouldn't be there to see things get better.

So maybe one measly Star Trek quote didn't quite dull the suspense, or make the idea of what was to come any easier to handle. But it did give her something to hold onto, something definite. The words of first officer Spock granted a bit of outsider clarity and logic to her reeling head with a simple fact: regardless of what happened, the needs and wellbeing of the people she loved would always come first. That was just who she was, and she didn't intend to change that for anything.

Finally, just when she was getting dangerously deep into the headache that had struck the moment she'd left the study, the door creaked open. She looked up to see not Jack, but a shorter frame in the doorway. She blinked a few times, just in time to see Bernard taking a seat beside her. She could hear quiet conversation from the room beyond, but she couldn't make out anything clearly and her head was too frazzled to probe for details.

"Bernard?" It was just his name, but it was also a terrifically weighted question in disguise and they both knew it. To Elle's dismay, Bernard didn't reply at first. He merely sat beside her, staring with a blank look on his face at the desk on the far side of the study where a part of the Naughty or Nice list sat in a neat stack. She followed his gaze, her heart pounding in her ears until she felt him lift her hand away from where she'd been gripping her knee. He held it, lifting the back of it to his lips and pressing a ghost of a kiss there. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes.

But when he looked at her, they were gone. He forced a gentle smile, weaving his fingers in with hers in a way that she found oddly comforting. "We should go."

"Go?" She asked, beyond bewildered. Bernard nodded.

"I don't want your last night with your sisters to be anything short of spectacular, Elle." This time, the tears in his eyes were definitely there, just for a moment before her own eyes were flooded. She let out a sigh of relief, throwing her arms around his neck and stifling her suddenly uneven, shaky breathing in his shoulder. They'd said yes. They'd said yes, and all of a sudden her world was falling together and apart at the same time.

"You deserve it."

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Major trigger warnings for family loss, death and other traumatic events in this chapter. If that's too much for you to handle then I recommend you sit this one out, pals. I'm afraid it's short but brutal. Sorry for being literal satan!**_

* * *

 _9._

As the odds would have it, the information needed about elfin transformation was to be found within the pages of the Santa Handbook. Curtis, who was still the keeper of said handbook, seemed immensely intrigued (if not saddened) by the whole situation and took a break from his task in R and D to devote his full attention to reading and refreshing his memory on all there was to know. The fact that he actually got to use the handbook made his missing the rest of the Halloween party more tolerable, as things really began to pick up after Ellington rejoined the festivities.

Nobody was sure what had changed with Ellington. One moment she wasn't there and the next, she was entering the square hand in hand with Bernard, engaged in some sort of low conversation. She seemed tense, worried, even saddened, but the moment Dottie caught sight of her and gave a little happy shriek of excitement, her expression immediately shifted to joy. Bernard watched her sisters lead her off towards where some of the elves were bobbing for apples, a mixed look on his face before he yet again vanished.

As it were, the council had loosely decided that if they were indeed going to put Ellington's plan into effect, the sooner the better. As cruel as it seemed, Father Time had made the suggestion that returning Dottie and Annise home that night would be wise. The levels of magic were especially high on the 31st of October, making Elle's transformation and the act of wiping her family's memories that much easier—because according to Sandman, if the Connellys did remember anything, they would most likely dismiss it as a halloween's nightmare.

That left Santa, Bernard and a handful of others in a bit of a scramble to make the necessary preparations. Meanwhile, the party outside continued on, oblivious to the crucial decisions being made in the workshop. Ellington was painfully aware of what she'd just done, her sisters' presences bringing her close to tears simply from the thought that after tonight, she would never see them again—and even if she did, they wouldn't recognize her. There was no easy way to cope with something like that, and she was horrendously aware of it. Seeing her sisters laugh and smile and genuinely enjoy themselves did serve to remind her why her sacrifice was worthwhile, but it also served to remind her jarringly of all that she would miss. She felt adrift and aloof in the crowd, her head aching and her costume seeming like a bad joke as she tried to remain calm and in control.

She lost track of the time for a while, but somewhere around nine pm Annise began getting tired. It was a bad sign, a sign that the evening was coming to an end and Elle's life as she knew it, with it. But she didn't tell them that. Instead, she gave Annise a piggyback ride back to her bedroom, nodding along to Dottie's giggly chatter and hanging on every word she said.

"Are you okay?" Dottie asked as they reached their hall. "I mean, you don't usually care very much when I ramble about my life back home…are you feeling alright? Head hurting at all?"

"Hmm?" Ellington blinked a few times, drawing her thoughts together to try and reply. Dottie pushed open the door and Ellington carried their sister inside, setting her onto the couch. "Yeah, I'm…I'm fine, Dot. Just a little tired, I guess."

"Hold up—are you crying?" Dottie snagged Elle by the arm, looking at her closely with concern. Sure enough, there were tears glistening on Ellington's cheeks. "Ellie, what's going on?" she asked, her tone gentler.

"Nah." Ellington shook her head and swiped at her eyes with a watery smile. "Guess I'm just…really happy we're all getting along again. That's all."

Dottie viewed her uncertainly before smiling softly and pulling her into a hug. "Me too, sis," she reassured her, rubbing her back soothingly. "I think everything's going to be okay now, you know? I've just got this feeling something's changed, and for the better."

"I really hope so," Elle replied, screwing her eyes shut and hugging her sister tightly. It was hard to keep her voice from cracking, her emotions roaming wild. Still, she used every trick Jack had taught her in an effort to keep her mental powers from running rampant.

Before she could give too much thought to that though, a soft noise came from the couch, followed by a groan of irritation. "Did I fall asleep? Dang it, I don't want to go to bed yet. It's Halloween, we're supposed to stay up late! Can we watch a movie?"

With a red eyed smile, Elle pulled away from Dottie and looked over at her youngest sister. Annise's hair was messily tousled, her costume crooked on her shoulders. "Tell you what. Go and put some pajamas on, and Dottie and I will find a movie. Okay?"

All she wanted to do was spend the last moments she had with her sisters, making them happy.

* * *

It was around eleven pm when Bernard made his way to Ellington's suite, all the preparations made. When he reached her door, he lifted his hand to knock, only to be greeted mentally instead.

 _'Come in…just please be quiet. I don't want to wake them.'_

Instead of turning the knob and risking the door creaking open, Bernard merely teleported into the room. He found the lights dimmed, the three girls cuddled on the sofa in front of the television with The Nightmare before Christmas playing on screen. It seemed like all three of them must have fallen asleep, until Ellington very gingerly lifted her head and looked in his direction. It was plain to see that she had been crying quite a lot, and he could only assume while the other two girls had been asleep.

Ellington looked over at him, feeling her heart drop at the sight of him in an overcoat and quite clearly dressed for travel. So that was how the council intended to get them home, then: travelling by means of Bernard. She hated how quickly it would pass, how soon the parting would be. There was no other reason for him to be there, after all. But at the same time, she was perfectly aware that no amount of time would be enough to prepare herself for saying goodbye to her family.

 _'It's time, Elle.'_ The head elf's mental nudge made her cringe a little, as if the words actually stung. She only nodded, looking down at the two blonde heads on either of her shoulders silently. She felt the weight of a thousand words on her heart, explanations she wished she could give and apologies too. But she couldn't, not then.

 _'Is Santa coming along?'_ she asked, having mixed feelings about whatever the reply would be.

 _'Not tonight. He thought it only fair for it to be as private as possible. I'm here for obvious reasons…and for you,'_ he added after a moment, a little surprised to realize that he really had volunteered to deliver the girls home because he was worried about how Ellington would react. He didn't know if she could say goodbye without falling completely apart, and seeing as how he was pretty much the only person who could calm her down, it only made sense. At least, that was what he told Scott; but both he and Scott knew that he was personally worried for Elle's sanity.

It was a good minute before Ellington replied, during which she merely wished that there was some way she could have _actually_ made everything okay—and not just have done her best to reconcile a terrible situation. _'Okay.'_

A moment later she felt Bernard's hand on her shoulder, and the world seemed to fall away around her, reappearing in a blur into an unfamiliar bedroom that she figured must belong to Dottie. Her sister was curled up safely in bed amidst various familiar plushies that Elle could recall from their childhood. She was a bit surprised Dottie had kept them, considering the situation they'd been in before.

Elle was sat on the bed beside her, and though she knew Bernard was somewhere in the room, she didn't bother to look for him. Instead, she reached out and gently held her sister's hand, biting her lip to hold back tears.

 _'I don't know how this will change things,'_ Elle admitted, trying not to breathe to keep her tears in. _'But however they do, I hope that you and the rest of the family are together. We—that is, you all shouldn't be split apart like this. Not anymore.'_

She didn't want to get up. She didn't want to say goodbye either though, so after awhile she rose off the bed. The slight movement of her weight leaving the bed made Dottie stir, but she merely shifted and fell back asleep, the hand that Ellington had been holding moving up to cradle her pillow.

Ellington felt a soft touch at her fingertips and found Bernard taking her hand yet again, watching her with concerned, brown eyes. "You ready?" he asked aloud in a soft voice, knowing how stupid and senseless of a question it was but knowing it had to be asked all the same.

"As I'll ever be," Elle replied, looking back at her sister and watching the room fade away. She felt Bernard squeeze her hand and she held on tight, shutting her eyes once more—but this time, it didn't stop her tears. What was the point, anyway? It wasn't really possible to get through this without crying.

When the ground was solid beneath her feet again, she knew just by the sounds and the change in pressure that they were in her own home. It made her want to go to her room and crawl under the covers, pretend like none of this was happening or had happened and when she woke up, life would still be hell but at least it would be normal. No magic or contracts or clauses, no deals to be made or prices to be paid. Just a mediocre existence and devastation around the corner—normal, human things. But she'd quite literally signed away that right earlier that evening.

"From what I understand," Scott had explained, adjusting his spectacles as Bernard rolled out the document on the table before her, "and from what Curtis has told me, this contract is magically binding you to becoming an elf, forfeiting any and all identities you had prior to coming North, and nullifying your previous existence as well. It's a fresh slate, in a manner of speaking. Once you sign, you'll undergo some sort of transformation process that will turn you from a human, into an elf."

"How?" Ellington had asked, mildly alarmed for how that would work physically (among other things.) "Am I just going to go to bed and wake up an elf? Does it happen immediately, or over months? Will it hurt? Am I going to get shorter? I'm only seventeen, and elves are hundreds of years old at my age. Will I turn into a baby? What am I working with here?"

"Easy," Scott told her, holding up a hand. "I don't know all the details myself. Curtis?"

The blonde elf merely shrugged, readjusting his hold on the handbook. "I didn't see anything about how the transformation works—but try not to worry. I'm sure Doctor Hismus will have some sort of idea, and he'll supervise the whole thing."

"You guys act like you've never had anyone else turn from human to elf before. Is it really that rare?" Elle asked, both confused and nonplussed.

"It's not exactly our usual method of outsourcing, no," Bernard replied, side-eyeing Curtis as if telling him to keep quiet on something.

"Uh huh. You're not telling me the whole story here, are you?"

"It's not important right now. We have bigger matters at hand, don't you think?" Bernard said, raising an eyebrow at her. He wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean Elle had to like it.

"And who knows? Maybe you'll have some time to adjust. It took me a good nine months to really grow into the Santa look, if you know what I'm saying," Scott explained, giving his belly a pat and his beard a thoughtful stroke.

Ellington would have been a lot more concerned if the situation wasn't so dire. But given what was at stake, she merely shook her head. "Whatever, I don't care. I'll deal with whatever happens, when it happens. Is there a pen or something? Where do I sign." The look of resolve on her face was steely, completely unreadable.

Santa viewed her with concern, clearly still ill at ease with the concept. "You sure about this?" he asked warily, fishing around on his desk until he found the gold plated pen he often used to check the Naughty and Nice list—twice, in fact. "This is a real leap of faith, you know—"

"I do know, I volunteered the idea," Elle pointed out.

"—and we can't be sure if it will work out, not for your family, but for _you_."

"I don't really much care what happens to me, Santa." Ellington's tone was chilling and quite frankly, brutally honest. "Even if I had had to _actually_ die for this, trust me. Once you told me there was a way to save my dad—my _family_ —I would have found a way to make the trade, even if I had to barter with Fate himself to make it happen. You being gracious enough to help me and take me on as an elf is a much nicer solution, by far."

Scott's eyebrows were nearly at his hairline by the time she finished talking. "Duly noted," he said, his tone clearly a bit taken aback but understanding all the same. Any humor in her statement was erased by how deadly serious she was. It wasn't an attitude he was used to seeing from her and it was honestly more than a little unsettling. That being said, he passed her the pen as Curtis leaned over to show her the specific places she needed to sign.

"Initial here, and here…and here," He said, pointing down the lengthy document. "And then sign your full name at the bottom, please." With a silent nod, Ellington set her hand to the paper. Curtis watched her write with interest, the script changing from black to gold ink as soon as it hit the parchment. "Huh. That's funny."

"What's funny?" She pulled back, clearly worried she'd done something wrong.

Curtis shook his head, pointing at her signature. "Ellington Connelly. E.C., just like the Emissary Clause."

"It's just a coincidence I'm sure," Ellington said dismissively, turning her attention back to signing. But Scott and Curtis were exchanging looks, glancing Bernard's way with a moderately accusatory group expression.

"I've found that there is rarely such a thing as coincidence at all," Scott murmured pointedly, but whether Ellington was too distracted or too indifferent to notice remained unclear. The next moment she lifted her head from the page, sighing and dropping the pen.

"There, all four. Is that alright?" She saw the staring match going on and gestured confusedly. "Did I miss something just now, or..?"

"We're fine," Bernard said firmly, breaking Scott's stare and looking down at the final signature. He'd never taken the time to notice, but Elle had rather beautiful handwriting.

Next moment Scott had tugged the document across the table to his side and applied his own signature beside Ellington's. A thin sheen of magical light seemed to pass over the paper, before turning into soft white sparks and fading into the tabletop.

"I guess that settles things then," Curtis said, looking down curiously at the paper before rolling it up and handing it to Scott. "Santa, I'd keep this close by at least for the first few weeks, until things settle down and everything's certain."

"Sure thing." Scott took the then scrolled contract and slipped it into one of the top drawers of his desk, and that was the last Ellington had seen of her independence. He turned his attention back to her, a protective, almost fatherly expression on his face. "You're incredibly brave, Ellington. In spite of the dismal situation, I can assure you with confidence that we're all very honored to have you here."

Now, Ellington thought that maybe she didn't deserve that honor. She deserved to stay with her family, and suffer whatever Fate threw her way. Maybe things would have changed for the better anyway if Annise had never written that letter to Santa in the first place, the one that started all of this business with the Emissary Clause and their father's well being…

But Ellington couldn't really regret what had happened. She couldn't regret all the memories they'd made, or the magical things they'd seen and experienced, or the friends they'd made, however unlikely those friends were. One look at Bernard made her think that maybe, in spite of all of this, good things might happen to them all again—even if she wasn't with them as a family when they did.

"Do you want to pack some of your things?" Bernard's suggestion was thoughtful and showed that he was paying better attention to the reality of the situation than she was. She would never set foot in this house again—hell, who knew if the Connellys would even live there anymore when they woke up in the morning. If she wanted any mementoes, now was the time to retrieve them.

"Maybe just a few things," Elle said, but she couldn't seem to make her feet move in the direction of her room. As if sensing her inability, Bernard gently tugged her in the proper direction towards the stairs.

"Come on, then. I'm right behind you."

 _Thank everything holy that Bernard was patient with her of all people,_ she thought, while packing a duffel bag with some of her favorite and most sentimental things. He gave her some time alone in her room to think and really say goodbye to her life. It took her a good twenty minutes to finish, and when by the time she did her tears were coming faster than she could swipe them away. Still, she shoved them back as the bitterness of the situation came to grip tightly at her heart. She came out and sat her bag at the foot of the stairs, looking at Bernard for a long moment in silence before turning her feet in the direction of Annise's room.

Annise was already fast asleep in bed, that much was clear. The cat was sleeping at the foot of her bed, curled up amidst her legs and the blankets and purring quietly. It was peaceful, still. Too quiet, though, because the house should have had two more people in it. But Elle tried not to think of that as she sat down carefully beside her youngest sister, her senpai, her best friend.

To her slight astonishment, Annise woke up more than Dottie had—to consciousness, in fact. Her eyes fluttered open and in the dim light fell on Ellington's tear streaked face. "E-Els? What's going on?" she asked, too sleepy to truly be alarmed. "Did the movie make you cry again?"

Ellington only laughed a little, shaking her head. "No, kid," she said, but her voice lacked its usual humor. "Just having a rough night, I guess. There's a lot going on in this head of mine."

Annise perked up a little at that, though, she still didn't seem to realize that she was home and not in her bedroom at the Pole. "Hey, that okay," she said comfortingly, so much so that Ellington wanted nothing more than to break down into sobs completely. She pulled aside the blankets and patted the bed beside her. "I used to climb into your bed when I was little, so you can come snuggle in mine tonight if you want," she suggested kindly.

Elle didn't even have it in her to reply properly. She only nodded mutely, climbing in beside her sister. "It's gonna be okay, Ellington," Annise reassured her, holding her hand and offering a gentle smile before closing her eyes sleepily.

"I know." Ellington lay silently beside her sister, watching her fall asleep as her own tears hit the pillow. Finally she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the younger girl's forehead. "Dottie was right, Annise. Things are about to get a lot better. I promise."

A noise in the doorway caught her attention, and she suddenly became aware that Bernard was there. How long he'd been watching she had no idea, but she found herself unable to be angry. Instead, she merely got delicately out of bed and tucked Annise in. She gave the cat a fond pet on the head, renewing its purrs.

"You take good care of her, okay Alex?" She turned to Bernard, who moved out of the doorway so she could pass.

"I need you to take me one other place," she told him before he could take her back to the Pole without warning. "Please," she added, sounding a little more desperate than she'd meant to.

It hadn't been discussed and it certainly wasn't a part of the plan, but with Ellington so vulnerable and in tears in front of him Bernard found himself powerless to say no. "Anywhere you'd like," he offered, and she mentally told him just where she needed to go.

A whirl of colors and a flash of bright fluorescent lights later found them in the right place. Ellington didn't even notice that Bernard was carrying her bag without complaint, too distracted by the thought of seeing who she'd come for. She made her way down the hall until she came to a room with an open door, and there she stood looking in at the people inside.

Bernard caught up to her, searching for who her gaze was locked on—though he suspected he already knew. When she'd given him the address of a hospital, it was a fair enough guess who she wanted to see. The establishment was quiet in this particular wing, and Philip and Josette Connelly were asleep in the room; Philip in bed and Josette in a chair beside him. It suddenly became very real to Bernard just what Ellington's situation was, and why she'd made the suggestions and choices that she had.

Philip was pale, and gaunt; a shadow of the man Bernard had seen in the photos scattered around the house he'd just been in. He couldn't have weighed more than Ellington did now, if not less. Philip Connelly looked like a gaunt Halloween skeleton, little more than skin and bones. It was heart-wrenching and more than a little bit sickening to see just how completely this man's life had been turned inside out. Being so caught up in the happenings of the workshop and the safety of the North Pole sometimes made Bernard forget just how brutal humanity could be.

But a soft sniff beside him brought him out of his thoughts and his attention back to the girl at his side. Ellington had tears streaming openly down her face, the breakdown she'd been trying so hard to fight just moments from taking over her. She looked over at him, and he felt his heart twist in sympathy for the raw emotion he saw in her eyes.

"Tell me I did the right thing," she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. "No one else is ever going to really know…or remember how bad all of this was. Please tell me I didn't make the wrong choice. That this decision is worth all of the loss, or…or something, _anything_ …" She hid her face in her hands, unable to go on.

Bernard didn't know whether it was sympathy or something more that led him to pull her in close like he did, pressing a kiss to her temple as she sobbed weakly against his coat. "You did, Elle," He promised, unsure if it was completely true or not but knowing it was what she desperately needed to hear. "You did the right thing by your family, I promise."

She was still wrapped in his arms when they finally made it back to the Pole. No one seemed to have the heart to ask questions when they reappeared outside of Santa's study just before midnight. Elle had cried herself out, with a vacant and completely emotionless expression on her face. She seemed unresponsive, too shell-shocked to speak if spoken to. Luckily Scott seemed to have informed Carol of what was going on, so Mrs. Claus was waiting with hot cocoa, warm blankets and plenty of consolation for her.

"Oh, honey," was all she managed to say before she was in tears too, helping the girl out of Bernard's embrace and into the safety of the sitting room. Scott, who had watched the entire thing, viewed Bernard questioningly before seeing how shaken up his head elf looked as well.

"You alright there, Bernard?" he asked, setting a hand on the elf's shoulder. Bernard just shook his head, staring through the doorway at the couch where Elle sat numbly. He opened his mouth as if to speak before sighing.

"No," he admitted, looking at his boss with an unreadable expression. "But I'm not the one you should be worried about right now. It's her."

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_  
 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_10._

No one made talk of Ellington's situation over the next few days. It only made sense that she would need time to process the loss, even with all the support she found herself on the receiving end of.

She found herself spending a lot of time with the Clauses, especially Carol and Buddy. For a seven-year-old, Buddy seemed to grasp the concept of what Ellington had lost extremely well and seemed intent on cheering her up in any way he could. Even just being around him made her feel a bit better, especially when he was so thoughtful and tried to include her in whatever he was playing or doing.

Carol was the biggest surprise, by far. While Elle had already acknowledged the fact that she didn't know as much about Mrs. Claus as she'd liked to, she now found herself becoming quite close to the woman. Without her having to ask at all or feel as though she were putting her out, Carol had been there for her in a comforting, motherly way that honestly was exactly what Elle needed.

So it wasn't as if she could truly complain. She had expected to be somewhat abandoned, left alone once her sisters were gone and the thrill of her visit wore off. Instead, she found that the elves were even more understanding and sympathetic then she could have hoped for. She could only assume that Scott or Bernard had informed them all of what had gone on late that Halloween, because she was veritably flooded with gifts and food and kindness from all corners. It even seemed that some of them were excited, rumors of her "secret" job offer spiraling wildly through Elfsburg. She wondered who it was that had let that slip, but she didn't dwell on it. For all she knew, now that she actually was an elf Bernard might redact that offer entirely.

And she _was_ becoming an elf. She was unable to avoid the fact, becoming more and more aware of it at each of her daily appointments with Hismus. He and the nursing staff in the Elfirmary seemed fascinated by the transformation she was undergoing, taking copious amounts of notes and measurements and records of the entire process. The fact that she felt like an experiment didn't really do much for her already deflated emotional state, but she didn't complain. In fact, she didn't really talk much at all. The entire week she could only remember having spoken a handful of words, all in response to questions she'd been asked.

The most baffling thing of all through the entire week was something she'd done herself: that is, avoiding Bernard. That was right, the tables had turned and now she was avoiding him instead of seeking out his company. Every time she thought about running into him she felt nauseous, embarrassed. Perhaps she was simply suffering a sense of humiliation from him being present for what could clearly be stated as the worst night of her life, but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she was grateful they were into November—and into the workshop's busiest season—so that he was too wrapped up in work to make much of an effort to see her. At the same time, she also dreaded having to see him at the end of the week. Who knew how that would go down. Ellington by no means wanted to force herself into any position or job. At this point, she just wanted to feel like she belonged somewhere, doing something —since she certainly didn't belong to or with any _one_ anymore.

But on the sixth day of her respite week a knock came on the door of her room, and she knew from a quick mental sweep exactly who was on the other side. She huddled deeper into her blanket, hiding a good portion of her face and using her telepathy to unlock the door and let the person in. She figured if she sent him away, he'd just teleport into the room if he had a good enough reason to be there. Why make drama when the situation was bad enough?

As it were, she was knee deep in a new tv show in an attempt to distract herself from her heartbreak. She heard Bernard come into the room behind her and she paused the film, looking back from the sofa with a slightly confused expression. He was being awfully quiet, observing her carefully. Granted, the only thing showing was the top of her head and her eyes, so she wasn't exactly extending a warm welcome.

It was the moment their eyes connected that she knew something was different. She felt flustered and nervous and self-conscious, which weren't feelings she'd ever gotten from him. That was one thing she'd learned about Bernard over her time at the Pole: he had a sort of comforting presence, at least for her. Everyone she told that to seemed to think that she was insane, but then, they didn't know of all the times he'd managed to console or comfort or calm her down.

She almost thought he looked a little taken aback before she cast her gaze down at the floor, mumbling her words through her blanket. "Sorry, I wasn't exactly expecting company." Her voice was soft and a bit scratchy from disuse, and sounded like a different person entirely from how flat and unlively it was.

"Don't ah…don't worry about it." There was a pause during which Ellington picked at the lint on her leggings before they both began talking at the same time, then each urged the other to go ahead. Ellington was the one who held out though, waiting for Bernard to go on. "If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. I should have come by sooner, but every time I tried to stop by or find you, you always seemed to be somewhere else…" He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly, unsure of how to go on.

"That's my fault. I was kind of trying to make myself scarce, especially after I heard how the real crunch begins this week. I didn't want to be underfoot." Ellington's tone was matter of fact, but her shrug betrayed her feelings were a little hurt.

It was hard to tell, but it almost sounded like Bernard swore under his breath before taking off his beret and running a hand through his hair. "You're not underfoot, for tinsel's sake. You've _never_ been underfoot around here, and especially not after…" He trailed off, seeing Elle's eyebrows raise as she realized where he was going.

"After this week, right." Ellington pulled her knees up to her chest and sighed. "Look, you don't have to come by to apologize and feel bad for me. I know you're sorry about what's happened, it seems like everyone is. I'm not trying to mope or pout or gain anyone's sympathy, I'm just trying to come to terms with this so I can…" She broke off, her voice tightening too much to go one without a deep breath. "So that I can find some way to make myself useful." She stared at the tv for a moment before sighing and looking back at her toes under the blanket. "But I'm assuming you're here for a reason, so go ahead."

"The only reason I'm here is because of you." That wasn't the answer she was expecting, and it made her stomach do a funny little jump, but she ignored it. A few moments later she felt the couch sink down beside her, a careful weight settling down against the armrest. "I don't know where you got this idea that the only reason you're welcome here is because you're useful, because I certainly never meant to put that in your head."

"Well," Elle said with a small sardonic laugh. "You did offer me a job based on my skills—"

"Your main skills being how good you are at working with people and being a genuinely good and uplifting person," He explained, as if surprised at her tone. "Your mental gifts are just an added bonus. I mean, being telepathic alone wouldn't make you fit to be an elf, now would it?" He nudged her gently through her blanket layer, offering a slight smile. He didn't want to appear rudely upbeat, but he did want to raise her spirits if he was able to. After all, she was an elf now, and it wasn't healthy for elves to be sad. It added another risky element to her already risky situation.

"I suppose not," she grudgingly admitted a moment later. "But then, I'm not really a very good person I think. A good person would be happy right now, grateful that they could save the people they cared most about from pain and literal death. But instead, I'm sat here holed up feeling sorry for myself, and—"

"Feeling _sorry_ for yourself?" It was Bernard's turn to laugh in disbelief. Ellington was nearly offended before she realized the level of respect in his gaze. "That just proves my point. Elle, I don't need to remind you that you just sacrificed yourself for your family. I know you already are painfully, acutely aware of that." He watched her eyes move away and reached out to set a hand on her knee. "And while that's a happy thing for them because they get to forget everything that's happened, you don't, and that's a heavy burden to carry. You're not a bad person because you're grieving. It just means you need to heal from what you've lost."

Ellington didn't know why Bernard always seemed to know what to say to her, but as usual it was exactly what she needed to hear. She broke down a little, hiding her face in her hands as she both laughed and cried at the same time. "I just feel like such a baby," she confessed, and in spite of himself Bernard found he was chuckling a little too. He ran a hand up and down her back, a slight sideways smirk on his lips. "I'm always on the verge of tears and I can't seem to hold a conversation and I don't know what my own emotions are doing half the time…" she swiped briskly at her eyes. "And on top of that, there's this whole 'becoming an elf' thing that no one seems to understand. I mean, I wake up in the morning and my own body is different from how it was the night before!"

"It's gonna be okay! It's honestly just a process. Like losing a tooth or, or puberty."

"So I'm having second puberty?" Elle repeated with a watery snort.

"Of a sort. Though there is a lot to be thankful for, I mean, when you signed the contract you were thinking you might end up an infant or something."

"And you didn't?" Bernard gave a little shrug, which only served to make her more suspicious. "What is it that you aren't telling me? You don't seem nearly as intrigued by all of this as Dr. Hismus is."

"Well for starts, I'm not a doctor. So it might be a professional thing," the head elf pointed out with a tilt of his head. "But you aren't the first person who's been through this."

"I'm not? Sure seems like it, from the way people are acting." Elle seemed taken aback for a moment before looking at him curiously. "Who was it, are they still around? Maybe I can talk to them about this, so it doesn't seem so completely overwhelming."

"Well, he's a pretty busy guy," Bernard said with a hesitant yet somehow comical shrug. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that she didn't quite understand. "Most people seem to agree that he's a bit bossy, but he gets paid for it at the end of the day so it can't be that bad of a thing. Shouldn't be a problem for you though, you don't seem to have much trouble getting through to him. Or at least, I've found."

Elle was confused for a moment, but you could have pinpointed the instant it hit her. "Shut up," she said, backhanding his arm a bit more roughly than he'd expected.

"Ouch, take it easy."

"Shut _up!_ You went through this crap show too? And you didn't tell me?"

In spite of himself, Bernard couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, language. And I don't know, it isn't something I've mentioned to a lot of people. I've been here a long time."

"Well I'd expect; I mean didn't you say you were like sixteen hundred years old or something?"

"Or something," Bernard said, a little defensively. He smiled and shook his head. "Sixteen hundred and eighty six, remember?"

"Right." Ellington seemed completely taken aback by this news. "And you were human before?"

"As human as you were."

"So you've been through this process, then."

"I mean, I'm not female. There might be some differences, but yeah. I've been through it."

Ellington nodded, wrapping her arms around her knees and pulling them towards her chest. "That honestly makes me feel a bit better."

"Why?"

"Well I don't feel so alone, for one," Elle said pointedly, to which Bernard gave an acknowledging tilt of his head. "And reassured that I'll turn out okay."

Bernard smirked to himself. "Some might say I came out of it with a bit of an attitude problem," he said, but Elle just rolled her eyes.

"Please. Something tells me the sass has always been strong with you."

"You're not wrong." Not for the first time, it occurred to Bernard the sense of ease that always sat between the two of them had returned. Whatever that fluttery, uneasy feeling was he'd had when they'd made eye contact earlier, it seemed to have passed. "So now that we've established that this 'transformation' thing isn't new to me, are you willing to stop hiding behind that blanket like a shield?" He asked knowingly, and Ellington flushed—at least what little of her face he could see.

"I—I don't know," she said uncertainly, looking away nervously. It was clear she was still a little unsure of herself, and her new changes. "It's been bad enough with Dr. Hismus treating me like some kind of a Christmas miracle."

"Well in a sense, you kind of are." Bernard gave her a comforting look, setting one of his hands over hers. "I promise I won't laugh, or poke or prod. I just want to see. Is that so bad?"

Elle hesitated, a long moment, her eyes mistrustful and wary before she sighed softly and nodded. "But if you do, I'll…I don't know. I won't give you the benefit of the doubt again," she warned.

"I think I can keep a promise, Elle."

Somehow reassured by the use of his nickname for her, Ellington tentatively removed the blanket from her face. At first glance, it seemed that nothing had changed and she was, in fact, exactly the same as she'd been the day she came to the Pole. Under closer inspection, however, it became apparent that her cheeks were flushed a soft pink and were slightly sparkly, and that something about her seemed in general just a little more petite and elfin.

Bernard's face seemed to change drastically at the sight of her, his eyes widening and his own cheeks flushing notably. "It's that bad?" Elle asked, disappointment written all over her face. Bernard blinked twice, startled, before breaking into a smile.

"What? No, o-of course it's not _bad,_ " He replied, his voice a little higher than usual. "You look…well, honestly, adorable. Being an elf suits you." That was putting it gently. Quite frankly, he'd always found Elle pretty; he'd told her as much before. But now, there was something about her as an elf that got under his skin, made him feel a little unsettled by the pull he felt towards her: like some sort of protective urge. Attraction perhaps? That wasn't exactly a welcome thought, but then, with her giving him that vulnerable, open look it didn't seem half bad an idea.

For Elle's part, it was a little unsettling to see Bernard with such an endearing, goofy little smile on his face. "Thanks, I think. Hismus says my ears have all but come in by now," she went on shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear to reveal that they now had pointed tips. Bernard had to admit (though he didn't say as much) that they were in fact some of the prettiest ears he'd cared to notice. "What's that smile for?" Elle asked, cutting in on his thoughts.

"Nothing in particular. It's just that a part of me never thought I'd actually get to see you as an elf," Bernard replied casually, trying to tone down his grin a little. He didn't know what exactly it was that had him smiling like the Cheshire Cat over her transformation, but it was almost thoughtless. After all, it was something special for another person to have gone through what he did.

"Neither did I. To be honest, I didn't actually take your offer seriously at first because, well. I guess it felt selfish, you know? I mean, it sounds too good to be true to begin with, but beyond that, I guess it felt a bit like running away from my problems." Elle ran a worried hand through her hair, staring thoughtfully down at her socked feet. "Now I'm just grateful that everything worked out—even if it wasn't the way I was planning on." She sighed and looked up, a little flushed in embarrassment. "I've kept you here listening to me for quite a while, haven't I? I'll try not to make that mistake again."

"I wasn't complaining," Bernard pointed out, stretching his legs out and leaning back against the couch. "I'm on break right now anyway, so I figured I might as well actually make use of it for once. Besides, this week's kinda felt long without you around." He gave her a little nudge to the arm, feeling a bit pleased with himself when she blushed again.

"So you missed me?" Elle teased back, giving him a shy yet wry smile.

Bernard found himself smiling in spite of himself yet again, even though he had to admit his ears felt a little hot with embarrassment. "You could say that. I know you've probably had a lot on your mind this week, but have you given any thought to the job I offered you?"

Ellington quickly snapped out of her humorous mood, sitting upright at attention in surprise. "You mean it's still on the table?"

"Of course it is. Why would I revoke it? Nothing's changed, at least in regard to how fit you are for the position."

Elle seemed genuinely taken aback. "When you put it that way it seems obvious."

"Isn't it?" Bernard observed her expression closely before going on. "You really didn't think I'd give you the job, did you."

"No offense? But no. I have less than no experience as an elf and no prior work experience. It did sound a little insane."

"Insane or not, it's yours if you want it. I know it's sudden, but sometimes sudden can make things easier, if that makes any sense. I could really use your help in the workshop starting Monday morning, if you're willing."

"And Santa's okay with it? Now that he knows and all?"

"He said that if I'm alright with it, he is too. He trusts my judgment," Bernard said calmly, giving a decisive nod. It was true that Scott had put up little resistance to the idea once Ellington _was_ an elf. After all, Bernard wasn't exactly one to talk up the abilities of another person, which he seemed quite willing to do in Ellington's case. If that wasn't a green light, then nothing was.

Ellington nodded, examining a slight hangnail on her thumb before giving a heavy sigh. "Okay, I'll give it a shot."

"Really?" Bernard perked up, actually surprised that she hadn't tried to gently turn him down.

"Why not? All I'm doing is sitting on my butt moping, playing with Buddy and watching New Girl reruns with Carol when she isn't busy. I doubt being productive would kill me," said Elle with a rueful roll of her eyes. "Besides, any form of a mental distraction is always a good thing in my case."

In spite of how complicated things were, in spite of everything that had been gained and lost over the past few months, Bernard still couldn't believe that for perhaps the first time, the position of Number Two elf was going to someone who could actually handle it. He had to admit, the idea made him a little giddy with excitement, a thrilled gleam in his eye. "So you'll take it?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Elle said with a little laugh, tilting her head and smirking at the endearing look on his face.

"Alright!" Bernard clasped his hands together, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees. "I'll let Santa know to write up the papers as soon as he can. It would be easier to get the technicalities out of the way over the weekend, after all. I'll need to let the elves know, since the rumors about whether or not you'd accept have been running rampant and I'm pretty sure Quentin and Curtis have been running a small betting pool about it on the side…" Realizing that he was rambling, Bernard paused to find Elle watching him with mild amusement that bordered on fondness.

"Someone seems a little enthusiastic." Elle couldn't help but giggle at the blush that spread across his cheeks, her heart doing that odd flip again at the way he smiled and ducked his head.

"What can I say? I've been waiting for someone to come along who could actually _handle_ the position for a _long_ time—longer than you've been alive, to be honest."

"Oh, right. Of course." She nodded in false understanding, clearly not convinced that that was the whole truth but playing along. Bernard chuckled and gave her knee a little shove, making her giggle again.

"Okay, okay. Maybe I'm glad it's you who I get to work with," He admitted, holding his hands up in a placating gesture.

"That's more like it," Elle said with a smile, a genuine smile unmarred by the sadness of the week. She soon mellowed out though, casting her eyes downward. "I…I'm glad to be working with you too, B. Even though I _was_ trying to stay out of the way this week, I did miss you."

Bernard was surprised at how candid that comment was, especially when she was one for playing down how she felt about just about anything. But he didn't dwell on it too long, stricken instead by another part of her comment. "B?" He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What? I have to start trying on nicknames at some point, since we're going to be working together," Elle pointed out with a carefree shrug. "You did say I could give you one, and I know for a fact you hate being called Bernie."

Though noting that he didn't hate being called that as much when Elle said it, Bernard still pulled a face. "Yeah, Jack's diminutives don't really do much for me."

"Well then, until I find a better one, B it is."

Bernard shook his head in resignation and leaned his head back against the couch with a sigh. He looked over at Ellington with a lopsided smile, somehow forgetting that his hand was still on her knee—even though Ellington herself was surprisingly alert to it. "So long as I keep getting to call you Elle, I'd say that's a pretty fair trade."

Ellington wasn't exactly sure what the fluttery feeling in her chest was, but she couldn't help but feel like this might not turn out to be such a bad start to a second chance, after all. "It's a deal then."

* * *

Of course, attraction begins in the smallest of ways. It can be the tiniest thing a person does that sets off a chain reaction, dominoes tipping until the entire array is in a heap and one finds oneself quite unexpectedly in love.

This was how things happened for Ellington, at least. She wasn't sure which domino had been the first, what had begun her tipping towards that inevitable conclusion, but she suspected that it had begun long before she had ever become an elf or made the North Pole her permanent home. Probably sometime in that period when she'd been nothing more than a girl with big problems and Bernard had been so kind to her that the beginning seed of a crush had formed, but back then she'd dismissed it quickly. What kind of a dumb teenage move was it to fall in love with someone who was by all means immortal? Dottie had subjected her to Twilight enough times for her to know that that was a really poor idea on a good day, and on a bad one like her situation made for, downright mental.

But as the saying goes 'the heart wants what it wants', and over the next few days Ellington found herself falling down a rabbit hole of rather unwarranted thoughts and emotions. Feelings she'd never expected to have—let alone have for Bernard, of all people— began to crop up without any sort of forewarning. Besides the fact that her newly developed elfin moods were a little unusual to her still, this was out of hand.

Ellington didn't like having crushes. She'd gone through all of middle and high school homeschooled, sure, but she'd gotten out enough and made enough friends to learn the phrase "don't catch feelings" and take it to heart like an oath. So this debilitating thing she was forming in regards to Bernard wasn't just a terrible idea, it also went against everything she'd told herself she wanted. The fact that she was going directly against what she'd always believed was almost more shocking than how bad of an idea it was for her to want Bernard at all.

Not only was he now officially her boss, but he was also "technically" much older than her. Sure she looked like a seventeen-hundred-year old elf, but inside she was only seventeen and he had all the life experience of _almost_ seventeen hundred years himself. Not to mention, she still remembered his concern over a certain ring box, to which a great number of questions still remained. None of these things exactly added up to a 'go ahead' in any way, shape, or form.

So making the assumption that she was being a grade A dumbass and needed to stop being thirsty was a relatively easy conclusion to draw, and one Ellington kept very much to herself. Not that other people didn't notice what was going on, because in spite of what Ellington was telling herself, this wasn't a one-sided problem.

' _Rule 9,274, The Emissary Clause. Every 550 years, an emissary must be chosen from among humans to visit the North Pole, be they lonely or without cheer. All emissaries must be under the age of eighteen. All emissaries must be female. This practice must be observed every 550th year, with the exception of postponements. Such postponements may be made only by Santa or the Head Elf.'_

This was as much information that Santa, Curtis and Bernard had about the Emissary Clause when deciding to allow the Connelly girls North for the holidays. The rest, as Curtis had explained, had been Deadlocked—unable to be viewed or opened until a specific amount of time. How long that period was, none of them knew, and with the Clause supposedly fulfilled as it was, nobody thought to go back and take a look to see if anything had changed.

At least, until two days after Ellington had become an elf. Curtis, who was still Keeper of the Handbook and therefore the only one with near constant access to it, had come back from a lunch break to find the tome spread open on his desk, new pages exposed to the air for the first time in many hundreds of years. Intrigued, he'd come closer to find if the book had somehow fallen open by mistake while he was away—only to find that the entry was one he hadn't expected to be seeing again for at least another 550 years, if not longer. His went wide as he read the passage over, casting a suspicious glance around the room.

"Bernard?" he called anxiously. "Bernard, this isn't funny. If you opened this yourself come out and let's talk about it." There was no reply. With a frown, Curtis scooped the book up off the desk and snapped it shut, resolving to keep it on his person from then on out.

Then he found it open again that night, at home on his bedside table. The next morning, it showed up next to his breakfast cereal. He quickly resolved to take it to Bernard as soon as he could.

He dropped the book on Bernard's desk early Saturday morning, the heavy literature making a dull thunk on the wooden surface. Bernard looked up from some sort of contract, an unamused frown on his face.

"Mind telling me what that thing is doing on my desk?" he asked, clearly not in the mood to be trifled with.

"Only if you tell me why you've been keeping secrets," Curtis said tetchily, crossing his arms in a huff. Bernard's brows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play reindeer games with me, Bernard. You know exactly what I mean!" He pointed at the Handbook. "We need to have a serious discussion about rule 9274."

Confused and unsettled by Curtis' strident tone (normally the younger elf wouldn't dare speak to him in such a way,) Bernard tentatively reached out and opened the book, flipping forward to find the pages marked with a wide, well-worn green ribbon. "The Handbook's been popping up all over the place over the past week," Curtis went on. "Ever since Ellington signed her elfing contract, I've been playing an unwanted game of peekaboo with it. And when I finally thought to check through it, I couldn't believe what I was reading!"

Already tired of Curtis' rant, Bernard flipped the book open and coughed slightly at the dusty pages before peering down at the text. Slowly but surely, the color began to drain out of his face.

' _This Clause has been created and endorsed by_ _Nicholas of Myra, on this_ _twenty fourth day of the month of December, being Christmas eve of the year three hundred and seventy four._ _Given the immovable and stubborn nature of Theodulus, sometime Bernard, my spiritual child and beloved and trusty helper, I have penned this clause with the hope of overcoming his insensibility and finding him a suitable match—if not among elves, then among humans.'_

"No." Bernard shoved himself backward in his chair, away from the desk and the book. "No, this i-i-isn't right." He shot forward like a bullet to fumble through his desk drawer, searching for the little red box that had become the bane of his existence. "I have a ring box, it showed up out of nowhere years ago and has been popping up all over the place the past few months—"

"Just like the Handbook was doing to me," Curtis pointed out thoughtfully, stroking his chin. He had to admit he hadn't expected Bernard to be in the dark about the Clause. He'd assumed that he knew, because Bernard usually did about these kind of things. "Are you telling me that you didn't _know_ this whole fiasco had to do with you? That this wasn't the reason for you being so sulky about the Connellys coming here?"

"Of course I didn't _know_ ," Bernard snapped, slamming his desk drawer shut in frustration. There was no box to be found—it had picked a prime time to go rogue on him again. He hoped that maybe he'd get lucky and it would fling _itself_ into someone's fireplace this time. "If I knew I never would have been okay with any of them coming here. Gingerbread, I would have torn the pages clean out of the Handbook myself."

"Bernard!" Curtis was appalled, and Bernard could only slump down in his chair.

"Well what would you have done, hmm Curtis? If you were being cornered into falling in love—no, getting married. This clause doesn't say anything about love."

"Come to terms with my fate? I don't know. Look what Santa did when he had to deal with the Mrs. Clause. He rose to the occasion! Why can you do the same?"

"Because Santa has a choice!" Bernard kicked at the floor, his expression completely discouraged in a way that Curtis didn't exactly feel comfortable to see. Bernard always had himself together, always had a grip on things—except for when his temper slipped, of course. "If he doesn't want to get married, great! He can leave the coat behind and go back to whatever life he had before. But me? This is all I've known for so long…and I certainly don't have anything to go back to." Wow, that train of thought put him in a dark place.

"What did you do back in 2006? When we had the um. You know. The Escape Clause incident."

"It was…awful. I didn't even know what to do with myself."

"Well nobody said you'd have to _leave,"_ Curtis pointed out, and Bernard lolled his head to look at him, deadpan.

"Really, Curtis? You've been Keeper of the Handbook for how long, and yet you've forgotten that every Clause has a consequence if you don't fulfill it?"

"So…what? You'd stop being an elf?" Curtis' sentence hit him like a punch to the gut. Whatever color was left in Bernard's face drained clean away, leaving him pale and ghostly. To lose his job and purpose was bad enough, but to lose the very essence of who he'd become? To have to be _human_ again, after all of those centuries? That was a fate worse than death, in his mind.

"Maybe it would be better to just get married," Curtis offered, not bothering to wait for an answer that was only going to be angry and upset. "The Clause was only supposed to help you, right? Widen your search field if you couldn't find an elf who struck your fancy?"

"So?"

"So, you can marry whoever you want. I'm sure Santa would be willing to help—"

"Do _not_ tell Scott about this." It was rare for Bernard to use his boss' first name, and the look on his face told Curtis just how unwise testing him on the subject would be. Bernard's angry pointing did a good enough job conveying that. "I mean it, Curtis. I'll figure this out on my own."

Curtis heaved a long suffering sigh, clearly not liking what he was being told. " _Fine._ You might consider talking to Cupid, though."

"Already did. He's been less helpful than—than Chet on Christmas eve."

"Yikes. Then have you at least considered the _obvious_?" Curtis asked, setting his hands on his hips—an old habit he'd picked up during his stint as head elf.

"What." Bernard's tone was flatter than gingerbread and half as sweet.

"That the Clause brought girls here, partially for your sake. And the only girl who's stayed here, is—"

"No. No! Don't you _even_ go there," Bernard stated, wagging his finger at the younger elf, who merely broke into a smirk.

"Why not?" With a grin, Curtis pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"After all she's been through, you think she'd want to have anything to do with all my drama?"

"I thought she'd be sympathetic. And hey, if things don't work out, I'm sure she'd understand and things wouldn't be too messy."

"I'm not going to put her through that! She doesn't deserve to be someone's last minute bride," Bernard groused, his mood sinking even further. He didn't know why, but actually saying out loud that he didn't want Ellington involved really affected him—made him feel truly hopeless.

"Here's the real question though: if you weren't so caught up in all of this, would you _want_ to date her?"

Bernard hesitated a long moment, the sight of which alone made Curtis chuckle. "Hey, shut up. And…I don't know. If she ever felt like she _wanted_ to go out with me, and—and it ended up that she had some sort of feelings my way, then…yeah. Yeah, I suppose I would. It would be a _lot_ more comfortable than trying to date someone I don't know—so long as it didn't ruin our friendship. Or the job!" He added quickly, then sunk into a train of thought about just how nice that might be.

Curtis reached over and snapped the Handbook shut, startling Bernard out of his daydreaming. "Seems to me like you have your answer already— _even if_ you don't want to accept how you feel," he finished, seeing Bernard's gaze darken.

"It doesn't matter how I _feel_ about it, Curtis."

"Sorry to inform you but um, how you _feel_ about things is kind of what this whole situation hinges on."

"I am _not_ dragging Ellington into this, and that's final!"

"What aren't I getting dragged into?" Ellington's calm, slightly confused voice cut into the tension of the conversation like a hot knife through butter. Bernard's eye went wide as saucers, the question of whether or not she'd overheard any of the conversation mingling with his realization that he'd asked her there to go over her work agreement and holy night, did she look pretty in that sweater.

"I'll leave it to Bernard to explain, if he wants to," Curtis replied with a cheeky tilt of his chin. Clearly, he was enjoying the irony of the sticky situation and didn't intend to help the head elf fish himself out of it. "If you'll excuse me, Quentin asked for my help this morning. I think we're close to making the jetpacks hands-free! Wouldn't that be great?" He made his way past Ellington, giving her a friendly nod.

"Thrilling," Elle replied, obviously confused by his distracting comment but more concerned with what was making Bernard look like hell warmed over. "You alright?" she asked, walking over and setting a small stack of books on the desk. "I did the reading you told me to do, it was a lot but I think I've got most of it tucked away up here." Elle tapped two fingers against the side of her head and watched him sit in silence a moment before sitting down in the chair opposite his desk. "Okay, spill. I could feel the upset from you halfway across the workshop. Is something wrong with what we're trying to do here? Or about me that's worrying you?"

It took him a minute to pull himself together, but when he did he sat up with a sigh and tried to force a smile onto his face. "Nonsense. Just some peripheral stuff to be dealt with, nothing to worry about." He set about straightening out the agreement on his desk, avoiding Elle's knowing gaze.

"Really."

"Mhmm."

"So it doesn't have anything to do with this?" Bernard looked up to see Elle setting an all too familiar red velvet box on top of the stack of books she'd set down earlier. She fixed him with an appraising look.

"Where did you get that?" Snatching it back, Bernard was shocked when the lid popped open, revealing for the first time a ring snugly fixed between the pillows. "Wha—?"

"I found it on my night table this morning." Bernard's face dropped and he looked up to find Ellington wearing an embarrassed, awkward expression, her mannerisms screaming flustered as she scratched at the back of her neck.

"I think we need to talk."

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	11. Chapter 11

_11_.

"So what you're telling me is that the Emissary Clause was all part of a plan to help you break the world's longest bout of bachelorhood?"

Bernard pulled a face. "Well when you put it like that…"

"Sorry, sorry. Considering all of the immortals around, I'm sure it's not _the_ longest. But seriously?" Seeing his shrug, Ellington whistled. "Wow, that's rough as hell. Maybe you'll have better luck next time."

"How do you mean?" It was sometime after their conversation had initially begun. Bernard had needed some air and something to settle his stomach after Curtis' news, so Elle had suggested a short trip to the Elfsburg Grille for a cocoa.

"Just what I said. This time you only got us sorry bunch of losers," Elle said, taking the lid off of her drink—which was now about a fifty-fifty mix of coffee and cocoa. She found her preference lost somewhere between the two of them nowadays, which was strange. "Or, well, _me,_ and then my sisters. That's a crappy catch, considering all the fish out there."

Bernard shrugged, looking down at his boots shuffle through the snow. "Could've been worse."

Ellington balked at his answer. "Worse than three misses? Seems to me like you struck clean out."

For some reason, that hurt a little more than Bernard had expected it to. Why was he so sensitive all of a sudden? But before he could truly start to wonder at his faltering emotional state, Ellington ever-so-quickly read into the situation, spewing cocoa out of her mouth in surprise. Luckily, no one was in front of her as they walked down an adjacent lane as an excuse to move about.

"You considered it?" She asked, her cheeks bright red. It would have been comical to see her so out of sorts if he hadn't been just as on the spot as she was.

"Considered what?" Bernard feigned innocence, making Elle scowl.

"You know what!" She hissed in shock, her eyes wide as she nudged him remorsefully. "Don't play games." It was clear that she was not only surprised, but a bit moved by the news. So maybe she didn't find it as funny as she'd initially seemed to? Sometimes she was a bit hard to read.

"Considered dating you?"

"Bingo." Elle looked down and continued walking, cleverly using her hair to hide her flaming cheeks a little. Bernard was a bit surprised how quickly her mood had turned from self-deprecating and flippant to shy and flustered. He found it rather endearing, which was almost as surprising as the change itself was.

"Maybe. But why is that so surprising? We do get along exceptionally well, you know."

"That's true. Really true, to be honest." Now that she thought about it, few people had ever gotten through to her the way he did. But that was beside the point, she reminded herself. "Mainly because I don't exactly strike myself as being romance material, and you? You're…you know." She gestured vaguely up and down in his general direction, as if this somehow explained everything.

"Sure, that explains a lot."

Giving an irritated snort around a mouthful of her drink and rolling her eyes, Elle tossed her head and looked over at him. "You _know_ what I mean." She faltered a little at seeing his expression unchanging, save for the slight arch of one of his eyebrows. "Don't...don't you?" she asked, shuffling her feet a little.

"Given how that sentence could mean almost anything, I'm sure I don't," Bernard said with a puzzled expression. Ellington grew very quiet and still for a moment, peering in a window at a display before turning back to him and not quite meeting his gaze.

"I…I don't know how to explain it," she began, frowning partially in embarrassment. She looked up after a moment, a look of realization on her face. "I could show you though."

"Show me?"

"Yeah. Using my…" She tapped the side of her head. "With Jack's help I figured out how to do this thing…have you ever seen _Doctor Who_?"

Bernard shook his head. "I've heard of it, seen some related merchandise run through the workshop, but I've never watched it myself."

"That's a pity. Anyway, there's this thing that the main character—the Doctor—can do, where you sort of headbutt someone and transfer a lot of information to them mentally."

"Sounds…painful?"

"It is," Elle admitted. "But we managed to modify the concept it so that all I have to do is this" –she held up two fingers— "and touch your forehead, and you should be able to see what I'm trying to say. It only works one way," she added quickly, seeing his slightly distressed look. "At least until you decide to share a thought with me. If you don't want me to know something, just imagine a closed door. I can't go through it unless you let me."

Bernard turned the idea over in his mind a few times before his curiosity got the better of him. He _wanted_ to know just what it was Elle felt but couldn't quite describe. "Okay, let's give it a shot," he said with a little shrug, adjusting his grip on his drink. After the morning he'd already been having, he doubted anything Elle could show him could make it worse.

"Okay." Ellington seemed a little hesitant for some reason, though whether it was from using her powers or what she was about to show him remained unclear. "Just ah, keep in mind I'm a little new to this? Not sure how direct the thoughts will be."

"Duly noted."

With that warning out of the way Elle didn't wait for any other reply, pressing her two fingers against Bernard's forehead.

The two of them were locked there for several long seconds, each with their eyes screwed tightly shut. Finally, the head elf broke away from her touch with a gasp, his eyes flying open wide. Ellington withdrew her hand protectively, almost as if afraid of what she'd shown him.

It certainly was a bit sensitive, and definitely not what Bernard had been expecting. Given his own opinion of how he came off to people and how he presumed he'd come off to Elle, he was more than a little shocked to see the conclusions she'd drawn about him. Instead of being a somewhat stuffy, crabby yet friend-worthy elf with little time to spare or emotional panache to flaunt, he was floored to find that her view of him was so forgiving—even gracious.

The memories, thoughts and feelings Elle had shown him portrayed a compassionate, slightly stubborn yet endearing person with an excusable temper and a sharp wit. For the first time he saw himself through the eyes of someone else, and it was as if through the lens of Elle's perception his good traits were made even more appealing. A span of months was packed into seconds, compressed into one fell blow to his psyche. It would've been brutal, if it wasn't so flattering.

It almost made him like himself more as a person to see how redeemable his personality was—what with the rumors of his temper living on like their own legend in Elfsburg and the workshop in general. But what struck him most of all was the overwhelming sense of comfort and even belonging that he knew was coming from Elle's memories, and not his. So he wasn't the only one who felt more comfortable when they were together? He wasn't the only one who noticed how right it felt, in spite of the circumstances and such? Apparently, the feelings that he hadn't been willing to come to terms with—the same feelings Curtis had hinted at that very morning—were very much reciprocated on Elle's side. Or at least, that was the impression he got from her emotions.

It was only when he had come to grips with everything that he'd just seen and felt that he lifted his gaze back to the only-newly- elfin girl before him. Elle's gaze was downcast, and she looked almost on the verge of tears. It was true, she was a bit misty eyed, but not for the reason one might think. She was quite mortified at the extent to what she'd shown him. It had only meant to be a peek at her view of him, but her view of him was apparently tied in closely with her feelings _about_ him.

"You okay?" She asked, her voice sheepish and concerned but also slightly humorous, as if to take the edge off the weighted air between them. Still, her hand was gripping her cup so tightly she was leaving dents in the paper. "Maybe I should have been more gentle, from what I've heard the mental effect can feel a bit like getting hit with a truck—" Her sentence was cut off in pure surprise and panic when she felt a pair of soft, slightly cold lips press to her forehead. It was relatively brisk but still gentle, her brain hardly having a chance to recognize what was happening before it was over.

She looked up to find Bernard looking about as emotionally conflicted as she was, his face an array of expression varying from surprise and bewilderment to happiness. A fond sort of gleam was in his eye, and a lopsided grin on his lips. If her heart hadn't already been in her throat, it would have been there now. As if to attest to her mental turmoil, a bulb burst in a lamppost a few paces away, the glass cascading down into the snow with a soft tinkling noise. Bernard acknowledged it with a slight chuckle and a lift of an eyebrow before shaking his head. He knelt down and scooped up his now empty cocoa cup, tossing it into a nearby trash barrel before looking back at Elle. He was honestly a bit surprised to see how flustered she became when the subject of romance came around, or even any sort of compliment.

"Are _you_ okay?" Bernard replied, tossing her question back lightly. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear at the same moment her nervous habit kicked in and she reached for it, their hands brushing and making Elle flush even deeper. "Easy, you might blush yourself to death."

"Oh…oh shut up, you." Elle shoved his hand away, but it was playful and not angry. She didn't even know how to act after what he'd done, feeling as if he'd blown a fuse in her mind and left her speechless. How silly that something so simple from him could do that? It made her feel even more childish to realize, but she still found herself smiling like a fool regardless.

' _Well, if you'd prefer to talk like this I don't mind,'_ Bernard replied mentally, watching her smile and feeling an odd sort of pride in making her so flustered and cute. Cute? Yeah, cute. After a moment's consideration he realized that he actually meant that.

' _So you're not mad at what you saw?'_ Elle asked, a little timidly. She threw her cup away as well before shoving her hands deep into her coat pockets. ' _Or, you know, at least put off by it?'_

' _More than anything I'm flattered. I'd expected something much harsher,'_ Bernard admitted. He found himself still a little shocked at himself, which only served to make him realize how serious this situation was. If Elle were just a friend it wouldn't have been a matter of guts, it would have been casual. Instead, he found himself hoping it hadn't been too out of line, because he'd honestly like to do it again—and that alone was a scary enough thought.

' _Hey either one of us deserves to get roasted then it's me, not you.'_ Elle snorted softly, shaking her head. ' _I guess I should be glad that I didn't spook you too badly then.'_ She was still too in shock to realize that after it, she probably didn't need to worry too much about him being angry.

"My point is," Elle continued, trying to redirect the conversation away from whatever it was that had just happened, "that it's not hard to see your good side. This isn't completely hopeless, you know? Sometimes things like love don't happen until you're willing to let them happen. Maybe if you can accept the situation instead of trying to dodge it, things might work out—even painlessly." She gave a careless little shrug before rolling her eyes. "Or at least, that's my two cents. Not that I know anything about dating or relationships or whatnot." In fact, just as it was occurring to her to brace herself for a gentle let down in regards to her now rather obvious feelings for him, her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket. Wordlessly she took it out and viewed it before groaning.

"It's Archie, from the Music department? I told him I'd be by this morning and I'm running late. I'm such an ass, I've been putting him off for weeks already…"

Bernard gave an encouraging little nod. "If you need to go, I won't keep you." Of course, that was him trying to be gracious when he had even more questions now that he'd seen in Elle's head.

Unfortunately, Elle was out of coping mechanisms and was desperately searching for a way out of the situation that had unfolded. "I know we didn't get to the paperwork we were supposed to do this morning," she began apologetically, before Bernard waved her off.

"That was my fault, if anything. We can take care of it this evening, since I doubt I'll be back in the office before then. Sound okay?"

"Perfect!" Elle sighed in obvious relief, running a hand through her hair. "I've got to collaborate with Archie for a few hours, make it back here downtown in time for my haircut appointment and then find time to meet up with Charlie before I meet up with you again."

"What are you doing with Charlie?"

Elle gave a slight shrug. "Don't know completely. He only told me he wanted to talk about something, and offered to go shopping with me so that I can get a new coat." She held her coat up by the pockets, showing that they clearly had holes in them. "Training with Jack kind of did a number on this one. I'll let you know if it's anything important."

"Right." Bernard was a little surprised at how forthcoming she was, but he figured that maybe she was taking her new position into account and trying to be communicative. That idea improved his mood considerably, since his work relationship with Curtis when he'd been number two elf had been lackluster in that area, to say the _least._ Often times it had been like a bad game of telephone trying to get information from him—but that was in the past.

"See you this evening then?" Elle said, with a smile.

"Sounds like a plan." With a happy nod, Ellington hurried off in the direction of the music department, her thoughts shifting to the task ahead to keep from thinking of the incident that had just occurred. She didn't know what to think of it and for the moment was mentally filing it with other things she didn't understand. Like, for instance, why Bernard's ring box had shown up in her room that morning—especially since he hadn't put it there.

Bernard on the other hand, was finally beginning to piece together just what Curtis had been hinting at that morning. If what he'd seen in Elle's mind was true, then she was harboring more than just friendly feelings towards him, and she'd even been willing enough to show him that much. The question was, how did he feel about that? How did he feel about her potentially being the girl that the Clause had picked for him?

To his surprise, he didn't feel the pang of panic or disdain he'd thought he'd feel when he finally discovered who this Clause was tying him to. Instead, there was a sort of uncertain calm, like the kind that occurs before a storm, that made him wary but nonetheless intrigued. He _wanted_ to know where this…this unlabeled _thing_ with Ellington would go, and he wasn't even scared of it—though he was a bit nervous.

As much as Elle had said dating wasn't her thing, the same was true of him. What guarantee did he have that he wouldn't mess up everything entirely on his own?

The answer, of course, was none whatsoever.

* * *

Elle's day was long, and rather enjoyable in its own way. But whether she liked it or not, the concept of what she'd shown Bernard lingered in the back of her mind, and her mind was taking it upon itself to continuously berate her for it. Why had she been so open with him? It had just seemed the right thing to do, when he seemed so low. She'd thought that the example of how much she liked him could prove that someone else, who was good with feelings and dating and whatnot, could definitely fall in love with him. But that hadn't been what happened, had it? And while she was kicking herself for being so naïve and sharing her view of him, she was also surprised that he hadn't gotten angry or tried to let her down gently. It seemed like he'd just…rolled with it? Whatever she'd been expecting, it wasn't that.

Still, she should have kept her thoughts and opinions to herself. As of that evening, he would be her associate—boss, even? She wasn't sure—and if that wasn't going to make things awkward, she didn't know what would. That idea nagged in the back of her mind the whole time she was assembling playlists with Archie, the whole time she was practicing her telekinesis with Jack (who, if he did pick up on her consternation, didn't mention it) and all through her haircut. Luckily the hairdresser, who was a lovely elf named Edith who was a wizard with a pair of scissors, didn't seem to mind when Elle didn't talk much. If anything, she seemed to take her blush and quiet demeanor as shyness, and was more than willing to help her find "something new", like Elle had asked for.

Elle had eventually warmed up under the elf's care, and soon found herself in a better mood as Edith chattered amicably about how exciting things were now that Christmas was fast approaching, her assistants Zoe and Ingrid buzzing around helping other customers. Soon the hairdresser had ordered out for cocoa and Elle found herself relaxed for the first time that day, laughing at anecdotes and the thought of her confusing morning far behind. She was informed in no uncertain terms that while Bernard hadn't "officially" announced her new appointment as number two, she was definitely welcomed into the position by the elfish community.

An hour and a half later Elle left the salon with a steaming mug of cocoa in hand, set to meet Charlie in Elfsburg square with a better attitude and a newfound confidence. Maybe things weren't quite as complicated as she thought—at least on every front other than Bernard, that is.

"What's that face for?" She looked up to find Charlie watching her, taking her in from head to foot with no small amount of surprise. "Before you answer that, let me just say: wow," he said with a grin, nodding approvingly. For some reason, this made Elle frown in confusion, looking down at herself. "The elfish thing. It suits you," Charlie explained, and Elle broke into a weak smile.

"Ah, right. Half the time I'm hyperaware of it and the other half I forget my ears are pointed," Elle said with a rueful lift of her eyebrows. "Thanks. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Not at all. I was just saying hi to Carol and my brother before I came down here," Charlie explained, putting his hands into the pockets of his thermal jacket and beginning to walk in the downtown direction. "Buddy can't stop talking about how much he loves spending time with you. He doesn't get to see Lucy as much as he sees me, and they're kind of like cousins in a way. Besides all of the elves he's around, I think he kind of likes having an older sister figure with you." Elle fell into stride beside him, smiling thoughtfully before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, that was insensitive of me, wasn't it? I'm sorry." Charlie looked embarrassed, but Elle merely waved him off in spite of the lump in her throat.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not made of glass," She said with a little laugh, but Charlie didn't seem to buy it. He hesitated a moment before Elle got the second biggest shock of her day, and he pulled her in for a hug.

"Yeah well, it doesn't help for me to be a meathead," He told her, and she laughed again against his shoulder. It was a friendly hug, and didn't make her feel at all like the contact with Bernard had earlier. Still, he was right, and when she pulled away there were tears in the corners of her eyes. She swiped them away quickly and shrugged a little, trying to play down how wretched she felt any time someone made mention of family or her 'loss'.

"You didn't mean to be, Charlie. It's not like I can expect everyone to tiptoe around me—and hell, I wouldn't want them to." Elle gave him a reassuring smile before clapping her hands slightly. "But anyway, we didn't get together to talk about my crap—did we?" she added worriedly. Charlie shook his head, and she let out her breath.

"Of course not! I wouldn't waste your time trying to make you sad," he pointed out, which made sense. "I asked to talk to you because I wanted to discuss what you're getting into. You know, with this job you're taking."

This was genuinely surprising to Elle. She hadn't expected Charlie to be the one to come to her with concerns. "Isn't that something Santa should be talking to me about?" She asked. "Or Bernard, for that matter—though he did say your dad was cool with things, so…" she trailed off in confusion when Charlie shook his head again.

"No! No, not Bernard. He's the reason I wanted to talk to you. In part—sort of." Charlie looked around as if making sure he wasn't being listened in on, which only made Elle more displaced and worried. "Look, at the risk of sounding nosey and alarmist, you do know that Curtis had a hell of a time being number two elf, right? Not as much as he had as number one" —Santa's oldest son made a face— "but things weren't easy before that, either."

"Oh?" Elle hadn't heard that much. In fact, she realized, most of the information she had about her new job came from Bernard himself. It occurred to her that she should make time to talk to Curtis about what she was getting into, and to glean any prime bits of advice that she could from him—if he was willing to talk about it. From what Charlie was suggesting, he might not want to relive it.

"He and Bernard were tense all the time. I mean, they had a good work relationship on the floor, because Curtis is innovative and Bernard is old fashioned and somewhere in the middle lies the goal, you know? That's probably why having someone in our generation on the team is a great idea. I know the elves have always been keen to hear what ideas and trends I bring north," Charlie explained, and Elle nodded, engrossed in what he was saying.

"This whole situation is one-in-a-million, and I _know_ you have to be up to the task if _Bernard_ volunteered you for it. I'm not trying to shake you from your decision, but I just wanted to warn you that if Bernard made it sound easy, well. He's probably trying to sell you on it." Charlie gave a little snort of ironic laughter. "After all, _no_ one thought he would ever choose a number two willingly. If I remember correctly, Curtis came on board because of my dad being concerned about Bernard's stress levels—but I might have missed some details."

Elle, who had been nodding along quietly to each thing Charlie was saying, felt a little ill at ease from this news—but not so much that she'd reconsider her decision. "That's…good to know," she said carefully, biting her lip. "I didn't expect this to be a cakewalk, but it's true that I'm very, _very_ new to things around here and the fact that Bernard wants me to jump in feet first kind of surprised me. I'd expected to have to go through some kind of training or something."

Charlie stopped to peek in a few shop windows as they made their way into the shopping district, which was close to where Elle had come from in the first place. She didn't mind doubling back though. The walk had given them privacy for the more sensitive parts of their conversation. "The new elves are handpicked and go through a sort of cadet training, but I think you're a little above that level skill-wise. Maybe Bernard thought you could learn more being by his side rather than wasting time in class."

This time, Elle was the one to snort in irony. Given the morning she'd had the statement was a little rich. "Maybe," she replied, her tone betraying a sort of cynicism that wasn't usual for her—at least it hadn't been for a good long while.

Charlie was no fool, he'd spent his fair amount of time around teenage girls to know when something was wrong. "Say, Bernard doesn't have to do with that expression you were wearing before, does he?"

Elle, who was busy looking around the street for the shop she'd spotted earlier and wanted to purchase her coat from, paused and turned sharply, nearly spraining her ankle on the cobbled curb. "W-what expression?" She tried to recover, but her look gave away that she knew what he was talking about.

"Uh huh. So you weren't looking like you'd just gotten asked to prom and told the guy 'I'll get back to you on that'," Charlie replied casually, making Elle positively stare. "Yikes, was I close?"

"Just a bit." Elle blinked several times, processing the situation before biting her lip thoughtfully. "Well, kind of. Not really. I don't know! I'm bad at reading into these kind of situations. Terrible, actually."

"Let me guess, it's complicated?"

"Now look who's making understatements."

"Hey, I have a teenage sister. I know how this kind of stuff goes, and I've become a pretty good listener." He probably had Neil to thank for that, in all honesty. "So why don't you try me, and see if it helps to get all of this off your chest?"

Given the sensitive nature of the subject, Ellington took a moment to consider whether or not she should confide in Charlie or not. He was Santa's eldest son, and trustworthy to boot. Bernard's secret problem was probably safe with him, more than just about anybody else. But it wasn't just Bernard's problem she was concerned about sharing; it was also what had gone on between the two of them. Still, he had a point. She needed to get this whole situation off of her chest and out of her head, to boot.

"Okay, here's the thing..."

* * *

By the time Elle finished recounting all that had gone on that eventful morning, they were no longer outside in the cold but inside a shop, searching through racks of coats while Charlie listened. Normally, he probably wouldn't have enjoyed being taken on a shopping trip (at least he didn't when it was with his sister or mom.) But because of the animated way Elle was telling the story, he found himself too engrossed in the details to care that he was becoming a bit of a human coat rack.

The news of Bernard's newfound "situation" came as a surprise to the young man who had known the elf since his childhood and couldn't recall seeing him even once slow down to consider a relationship. Not that that was the kind of thing a child would pay attention to, but still: it had always been obvious that Bernard's focus was on his work, and now it was being forced in another direction.

That concept only became more intriguing when Elle had explained — albeit while very flustered and a bit shy — what had gone on between the two of them. The way she explained the thoughts she'd shown Bernard sounded very innocent and helpful, which was all she'd intended them to be after all. But Charlie was smart, and knew that based on Elle's intense blush that something else had been given away — and that something was probably along the lines of a crush.

He understood how terribly embarrassing that might be, especially since Bernard seemed like the type to let someone down right away if he knew of any sort of feelings that couldn't be returned. But from what Elle had said he'd done in response, if anything Bernard was _relieved_ to find out that she had some sort of attraction towards him — relieved, and flattered. That actually boded well for things not ending in heartbreak, he mused.

"So? What do you think?" Elle was waiting anxiously for his opinion, biting her thumbnail thoughtlessly as she looked at the young man out of the corner of her eyes. Charlie was older than her, had from what she'd heard had a steady girlfriend for a good long while, and seemed like the type to give good advice. She trusted his insight on the matter, and what was more, she desperately needed it. With little to no experience in these matters, Elle was relatively helpless on her own when it came to deciphering whether something was simply casual, or casual flirting. Dottie had always been the expert on all things boys, but...that didn't really matter now, did it?

"Well, you weren't wrong when you said complicated," Charlie said finally, as Elle distractedly tried on a few of the coats they'd picked out. She found herself gravitating towards ones that were still warm, but didn't have the lining she'd had in her old coat. Now that she was an elf, she found that her inability to handle the cold was all but gone. She was slightly more sensitive, given where she came from, but that wasn't too much of a shock.

"But in all honesty, it's Bernard's side of things that's where it's trickiest," Charlie continued, adjusting his grip on the rest of the items he was holding. Elle was holding a blue coat up against herself in the mirror, a conflicted look on her face at his comment. "I mean, it's a big enough deal that the Emissary Clause — which we _thought_ was only about preserving the spirit of Christmas — has another purpose. Especially when it's such a personal one for him. You were aware that Nicholas of Myra was his guardian before he came to the Pole, right?"

The coat fell from Elle's hands as she turned to look at him, shock all over her face. "St. Nicholas?"

"That's the guy. He was the first actual Santa, you know, after Kris Kringle. I'd be surprised Bernard hasn't told you this by now if it weren't for this situation."

Elle merely blinked, too taken aback by this news to properly respond.

"Bernard was his altar boy or assistant or something, way before the North Pole was ever a thing. Once Nicholas "died" in the conventional sense, he came up here to form the workshop and enlist the help of the elves in spreading goodness throughout the world every Christmas. I'm pretty sure the elves were a warrior race before that."

"Like in _The Lord of the Rings?"_

"Something along those lines, I think. They used to be taller, too, but that changed over time. I don't know all the details, but if you take some time to read up on Christmas history in the Hall of Records I'm sure you can find out the whole story."

"Right." This day kept getting more and more interesting. "So let me get this straight: way back when, Bernard knew St. Nicholas? The OG Nick?"

"Yep."

"And that's why the Clause is so personal — besides the obvious," Elle realized, the final bit of what Charlie was saying sinking in. "If he and Nicholas were close, beyond just a boss and employee, that explains why he'd make a whole damn Clause revolve around his head elf."

"Well, if you can say it revolves around him," Charlie pointed out, passing Elle another one of the coats to encourage her to work through the pile he was holding. There was an itch on the back of his neck that he had been waiting to scratch and he needed a hand free. "I mean the end goal was as we thought, to keep Christmas cheer alive. This additional thing with Bernard finding out he's engaged or something seems to have been masked by that. Or," he added carefully, "they somehow are connected more closely than we think?"

"I don't know," Elle replied, holding up the third coat and giving a dissatisfied shake of her head. None of these were right, either in size or fit or color. "This whole concept of being engaged to someone you've never even met is a tad bit disturbing to me, come to think of it. I know it's how things used to be done, centuries ago in human culture, and I've honestly got no clue if it's normal in magical society. But it strikes me as a bit outdated."

"He has a point though." Charlie leaned against the wall, sighing in relief as Elle took the very last coat from him. "Nicholas, I mean. He must've known that Bernard wasn't going to let much stand in the way of his job, especially not a relationship. In a way, it kinda feels like he was just looking out for him, you know? I mean, how would Bernard ever know he wanted a significant other if he'd never had one before?"

"St. Nicholas lived a celibate life, if sunday school and my memory serves me right." With an unhappy sigh, Elle hung up the last coat —a beige velvet number— and grabbed her own worn coat again. Maybe the shopping would have to wait for another day. "If that was the example he had then maybe it just felt optional. But being alone for that long...I mean, I made it through highschool without boyfriends, but sixteen centuries? That's a length of time I can barely wrap my head around living, let alone living it all by myself."

"Good point." Charlie noticed that Elle seemed to be giving up on finding what she'd came for, and decided that after the day she'd been having, it was entirely possible she needed a little help decision making. She did seem to be worn a bit thin from all of the new drama, and on top of what she was already carrying? Strong and capable as she was, it still didn't hurt to lend a helping hand. "Hey, why don't we go and see what's for dinner tonight in the Kitchens? It feels like you might need some time to think all of your options through."

"Yeah, great idea!" Elle sighed in relief, clearly glad to not have to make yet another set of choices just yet. "So long as come back and get one before Monday morning, I should be fine. I just don't think I'm in the mood to make anymore decisions, at least until I sign my work contract. Then my mind can _start_ to calm down."

With that decided, the two thanked the shop clerk and Elle gav a promise to call again within the next day or so. They left the downtown district after that, with a light flurry of snow falling throughout Elfsburg as they made their way leisurely towards the workshop.

"You know," Charlie eventually said, realizing that they hadn't fully finished their conversation while indoors, "I never did talk about what happened _after_ you showed him your thoughts, did I?" Seeing the elf quite clearly flush pink, he smirked knowingly. "It's been bothering you, hasn't it?"

"I'm starting to think you're too good at this whole listening thing," Elle quipped, though it wasn't as sharp as it could have been; more resigned than anything.

"Well it doesn't exactly required being Cupid to see when someone's got a crush."

"It's _not_ a crush!" Scoffing as she spoke, Elle couldn't help but feel her face grow even hotter. "I'm just a bit confused by what it meant. That's all! Nothing more to it."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a good liar?"

"Why do you ask?"

Because if so, _that_ person is not your friend."

Elle rolled her eyes, shoving her hands into her threadbare pockets. No doubt her doing that so often was why they were so worn through, because it had become a habit over the past few months.

"Look, I'm not saying you're in love. That would be a long shot, I know. But is it possible that you're...I don't know?"

"Catching feelings?" Seeing Charlie's expectant look, she groaned. "Charlie, you don't understand. It's not like that."

"Are you sure? Because it seems to me that whatever Bernard saw in your head, it led him to believe that kissing you on the forehead was an appropriate response. And it's not like him to do that, even _less_ so if he _didn't_ mean it romantically."

"Of course I'm sure! I'd be the first to know if I was falling for him, wouldn't I?"

"I've not always found that to be the case." Seeing Elle's irritated glare, Charlie held up his hands placatingly. "Okay okay, I'll take your word for it. Mind explaining why?"

"I _know_ I'm not falling for him, because I know how stupid it would be to do that."

"No offense but I don't think knowing love is a bad idea has stopped anyone, ever. You might have to double check that with Cupid, though."

"Well, it works for me," Elle replied, her tone absolute. She didn't think it wise to explain _why_ she thought it was a bad idea, since she knew he would feel obligated to try and convince her otherwise and after the news she'd had that day...she didn't need to feel any more on the spot. "Given his" —she lowered her voice an octave— "situation, I've got no right to nose in with my own emotions. And beyond that, after today, he's going to be my boss! Doesn't exactly bode well."

"You could turn the job down?"

"Not a chance."

"Well even if you don't, I don't see how either of those things are obstacles. So what, you'll have a lot of time together and you might end up engaged. Why is that so bad?"

"Because I don't love him!" Elle whirled, throwing her hands up. The pang of guilt she felt in her chest proved that she wasn't telling the truth, but she was growing angry and very flustered by Charlie's persistence. "I can't give him what he needs. I'm a wreck, my life is a mess, and I'm barely keeping control of this ticking time bomb!" She pointed at her head, blinking sharply to avoid any tears. "I've got a new job and a new life and I'm nowhere _near_ being able to open my heart up like I'd need to, not after…" She swallowed thickly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm a bad idea. So the very best thing for me to do is to make sure I never become an option." She gave a hopeless sort of shrug, not exactly keen on how pitiful she sounded.

To her surprise though, Charlie only nodded. "I can't say that I agree with you, but I do understand why you feel that way."

Elle observed him, squinting skeptically as she realized he really wasn't kidding. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Why wouldn't I? I mean, I can't change how you feel about things just by arguing, and it's honestly none of my business anyway. I just thought it might help for you to actually _say_ what was bothering you, out loud."

At least he understood. Elle had thought he'd try to talk her out of her mood, and was relieved to find that he wouldn't. "That's...actually a good idea."

"And do you feel any better?"

'Feeling better' wasn't something that had been coming easily to Elle of late, but still. She felt a strange sort of relief at having actually said what was in the recesses of her mind. "A bit," she said finally, before nodding with a slight smile. "I mean, it's a start."

"Good!" Charlie set a hand on her shoulder. "I think it's important to remember that this doesn't all have to be dealt with at once. Over all, Bernard's problems are his own and not yours to deal with. I know you care about it, but try to remember that it isn't your burden. You've got enough of your own problems, right now at least. If you can keep that in mind, I think you might feel better about all of this."

Elle nodded for the umpteenth time, feeling a sense of control over her situation for the first time in a while. "Thanks, Charlie," she said, offering a soft, sideways smile. "I know this probably wasn't the most fun way to spend your afternoon, but I do appreciate the conversation. A lot."

"Hey, it wasn't too bad," Charlie said, being a good sport about it especially since he'd been the one to bring up the drama regarding her new job. "If anything it gives me a chance to use some of the stuff I've picked up from Neil—not to mention I'm taking psychology 203 this term as a required class. I'm practically oozing rational insight."

With both of them laughing over the irony of that and falling into a discussion about Charlie's college life, the two made their way towards the workshop, completely missing the sight of a particular winter sprite who had been eavesdropping in on the conversation. Not the whole of it, perhaps, but enough to know that something of a very personal nature was going on with the head elf, and that Ellington was slowly but surely getting pulled into it.

Jack didn't like the sound of that, _at all._

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	12. Chapter 12

_12._

"I don't think this is any of your business."

"Maybe not directly, but indirectly? Definitely. Someone's gotta look out for the girl, you know, and so far that's been me. Or have you forgotten who was rooting for her idea at the Halloween meeting?"

"Are you sure you're not letting your personal vendettas control your emotions here? Because it sounds more like you have a reason for not wanting to see things play out a certain way—a certain way that I can't even disclose to you, for obvious reasons."

Jack frowned. "If I wanted mumbo jumbo answers to questions about how something would pan out, I'd go to Father Time. I came to you because this is your jurisdiction! Your legendary domain, if you will. For questions about matchmaking, go to Cupid. It only makes sense. Besides, you still haven't explained why you've been lurking around up here. I think I'm at least owed an answer there."

"I don't owe you _jack,_ Jack!" Cupid huffed, crossing his arms and peering down imperiously at his fellow Legendary. "I don't ask you why Canada is late in having it's first frost, even though we're two weeks into November already."

"What can I say, I've been busy. But the Polar Cap is looking rather splendid, isn't it?"

"Nor do I ask about what business you had in Hawaii—just miles away from an active volcano."

"Scoping out the terrain? Finding a decent maitai?"

As if that were likely. Cupid rolled his eyes, heaving a sigh at the sprite's evasive answers. "You know for someone who wants so many answers, you don't really have a lot of them to offer yourself."

Jack narrowed his gaze, his breath hissing out through his teeth in a cold cloud in spite of their location. They were in a relatively unobtrusive corner of the workshop- a hallway, somewhere near wrapping Jack suspected. He didn't want to have to sweet talk perhaps the most belligerent of his fellow Council members, but he did need information. "Listen, _mon frere_. Help me out here. I'm concerned about my understudy, I need to know she'd not in some kind of trouble, getting caught up in some sort of Clause business. You and I both know how messy those frostbitten things are, and after all she's been through already? I just want to save her the heartache, if I can. You of all people should be able to appreciate that." He wore his most earnest expression like it was his sunday best, hands clasped as if subtly imploring the winged being to reconsider.

Clearly, Jack's heartfelt statement made an impression on Cupid, who seemed to lose his irritated mood altogether and grew solemn. He sighed, slinging his bow across his shoulders before fluttering a bit closer and lower. Jack recoiled slightly at first, careful to keep a distance but soon realized that Cupid was trying to gain privacy in an otherwise busy area and leaned in.

"Here's the thing: I don't know everything that's going on either. All I know is that back in August when the, whatever, the Clause that brought the Connelly girls here—"

"The Emissary Clause," Jack clarified.

"That's the one. As soon as that thing was enacted I've been getting all sorts of strange readings from up here. I didn't know what it was all about until one of Santa's elves spilled the beans to me about what was going on. Apparently, good old Saint Nick set something up way back when to help Bernard get hitched."

"You don't say." Jack's face betrayed that he wasn't particularly thrilled with this news, nor did he particularly care if Bernard found his happily-ever-after. But Cupid was too engrossed in his own recounting to notice.

"That's the deal, apparently. I didn't know anything about it until I was told about the Clause. Talk about work creeping up on ya! So old grumpy ears is supposed to be set up with someone out there, who I'm supposed to find and do my job so that the whole Clause is complete, happily-ever-after, badabing, badaboom. The only problem is, I can't seem to find the elf in question. And trust me, I've been around. Not just checking the Pole, but _around_. We're talking global. Scratch. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Had me thinking this chick was a freaking ghost, the way she was hiding. Then the elf with the Handbook of Christmas or whatever—"

"Curtis?" There was a name Jack wouldn't forget soon.

"That's the one. He comes back and tells me there's another part to this Clause: the girl I'm looking for doesn't have to be an elf. In other words, she might be human. And that's when things really got tricky. Because the only girl I've been getting readings for up here at the Pole, is—"

"Ellington," Jack said, realizing what Cupid was getting at.

"Yeah, Ellington. Anybody ever tell you you've got a real problem with interrupting? Anyway, it got even more obvious once Halloween happened and she _became_ an elf. I mean, what are the odds? The only other time that's gone down was with Bernard himself, from what I've heard. Pretty clear something's supposed to happen there."

"So that's why you've been lurking so much." Jack ran a hand over his hair, a fresh layer of frost coating the already freeze-dried tips of his blue, spikey look. "You've been seeing if she's the one you're supposed to…" He trailed off, hating with every bone in his immortal body that he'd actually been right.

"If she's the one I'm supposed to shoot with one of my arrows, yeah. At least I think that's what the Clause wants me to do. I'm not used to working in conjunction with the powers of another legendary, and since Curtis told me Santa doesn't know about this particular situation..."

"Scott doesn't _know_?" This was news to Jack. He'd (wrongfully) assumed that the moment Bernard had found out about his little dilemma he'd go boohoo-ing to his boss at once, demanding he somehow dismiss the requirement. He'd figured that Scott had turned him down because his hands were tied, and that was why the elf was pouting. Finding out that Scott was in the dark was the last thing Jack had planned for.

"Nope. Bernard put a gag order on Curtis, he's not allowed to say anything about it since it "doesn't affect Santa directly". That's all I know about it. If you want to know more, ask the elf yourself." Cupid put the arrow away with a practiced flourish, causing a few of the elves passing by to 'ooh' appreciatively.

"What about Elle?" Jack pressed, turning his attention back to the real reason he'd come to Cupid in the first place. "You know I don't give a dime what happens to Bean-head; he can sit on an icicle for all I care. I want to know if it's Elle, because if it is, I need to keep her from falling in love with him."

Cupid gave Jack a long, side-eyed look. "Normally I'd point out that that's _definitely_ overstepping your boundaries, Jackaboy," he said, causing the frosty sprite to pull an unamused face at the nickname. "But I don't think you need to worry so much."

"Oh?" Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets, and a few choice insults with them. Now wasn't the time to start a spat with the legend of love, not when he needed his cooperation. "Because from what I heard her telling Charlie a few days ago, she's trying to convince herself she isn't falling for him, and failing."

Cupid scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "You mean that psycho-jargon schtick she was giving Santa's kid? This isn't my first time at the rodeo, buddy. I know when someone's in denial, and when someone's unwilling to bend. I can work with a stubborn heart, or a hesitant one. But Ellington isn't just unwilling, she's self-deprecating. She _genuinely_ doesn't think she's lovable." Cupid's face grew weary, almost hopeless. "It's the worst thing to see in someone as young as she is. Happens all the time nowadays, it's a real epidemic in her generation worse than we've seen in centuries. We're working on it."

"We?"

"Yeah, 'Dite and I." Clearly, Cupid was referring to his niece, Aphrodite.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Ah, your Legate. Right."

"Hey, unlike _some people_ I actually keep a good working relationship with my Legate," Cupid said pointedly. "Not something you can say."

"Whatever." Jack's dismissive tone was weakened by the obvious guilt on his face.

"But unfortunately, it means my arrows are all but useless on her. Until she loves herself, I can't help her fall in love with _anyone,_ let alone Bernard."

"So...you're saying she's safe?" It was almost surprising how Jack's question came off as hesitant rather than cunning. Cupid merely shrugged, clearly not happy with the outcome of what had been weeks of effort.

"From me, at least. I can't start anything until she heals from the wounds she already has. I mean, the poor kid thinks that everyone she's ever loved is now better off without her. It's been _proved_ to her that that's true. Think about what that does to a person's heart, you know? There are few things that even _my_ arrows can't pierce through, but that kind of trauma is one of them."

Jack merely nodded, deep in thought. After a moment he raised his head and thanked the cherub, who told him not to share with others what he'd been told.

"I don't need anyone asking questions about why I've been so involved, at least until the details of this Clause have been brought to Santa's attention," he explained. "I don't want him to think I've been sneaking around behind his back on official business right under his nose."

"But you have been," Jack pointed out.

"Well, he doesn't need to know that until it's a more convenient _time_. Say, when some part of this isn't so problematic? Who knows how long it will take for this to sort itself out. They're elves; they have all the time in the world and that's _if_ Bernard doesn't find someone else to love before the Clause does...well, whatever it's going to do."

"Curtis didn't say?"

"Apparently, the book was a little sketchy on the details."

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot."

Jack found it more likely that Curtis had withheld some choice tidbit of information, but didn't mention it. It was even more possible that Cupid wasn't telling him the whole story himself, so why bother pointing fingers? "And do you think it's likely? That he'll find someone else?"

"You've seen him, what do you think?"

"Personally? I'm pretty sure he's better suited for a prickly cactus than an actual partner."

Cupid made a dissatisfied noise. "Harsh, much?"

"You're right, that's a bad hand to deal an innocent, unsuspecting cactus. My mistake."

"Spoken like someone with a grudge, but I see what you're saying. He's not the cuddliest elf up here, is he? Responsible, yes. A real ladies man? Nah."

"I don't feel he's a good influence on Ellington," Jack replied stoutly, and to which the cupid could only laugh. Jack's face fell a bit and grew indignant. "What, you think I'm _wrong?_ "

"I think that Bernard and Ellington get along famously," Cupid replied, with the surety that only years of practice in the profession of matchmaking could bring. "Think they'd be great together, if they could both manage to figure out that falling in love isn't _'the worst thing that could ever happen'._ " He rolled his eyes. "I can understand how and why Ellington feels that way, but Bernard at least should know better."

"He should really," Jack scoffed, just a little too bitterly for it to be humorous. "Besides the fact that he's cradle-robbing and is about as emotionally available as a block of wood. And of course, that she in your own words, 'genuinely thinks she isn't lovable'. Those things aside, I'm sure they'd make a _lovely_ couple."

Cupid was beginning to catch on to what Jack was vaguing at. "Well, I guess we should be glad that your opinion doesn't really have any bearing on what the two of them end up doing," he said pointedly. "Now, I'm off. Meddling with Clauses aside, I've got my regular duties to attend to. _You_ might consider doing the same, and keeping your frosty nose out of other people's affairs—especially when it comes to love." That said, Cupid made his way out of the hallway, clearly uninterested in any further bants Jack might have up his sleeve.

Luckily, Jack didn't seem to be too disappointed by his departure— a little slighted, maybe, but that was a normal reaction from the wide-egoed being. He merely tilted his nose upwards and gave a little huff of indignation, rubbing his naturally chilly hands together. For some reason, Cupid's reassurances that Bernard had no chance with Elle at the moment didn't console him the way he'd wanted it to. The fact remained that in an ideal situation, they would be good together, and that set Jack's nerves on edge. He felt especially protective of Ellington for obvious reasons, and didn't want to see her new living situation and job jeopardized by a relationship gone wrong with her boss.

Besides, Jack was telling the truth: he really didn't think Bernard was a good influence on her. Her heart, and emotions, and _especially_ her mind were extremely vulnerable right now, and having someone—anyone, especially a _male person of a romantic nature_ —toying with the delicate balance he'd helped her make for herself over the past few weeks was an awful mistake. One, in fact, that he took it upon himself as her mentor not to let her make.

And just maybe his old prejudices against the elf and his perpetually mouthy attitude had something to do with that, but still. It wasn't as if Bernard _deserved_ Elle, at least in Jack's mind. He might not be a cupid, but it didn't take a specialist in love to tell that Ellington needed someone who knew how to be gentle and a comfort to her, and Bernard was certainly not that person, now was he?

"Then again," Jack mused to himself, "Maybe Bernard and a cactus would deserve each other. They're both unfeeling pricks."

* * *

Needless to say, things went a lot more smoothly than Elle had expected that first few weeks. She'd assumed that stepping into her new role as an actual elf in the workshop would be overwhelming, a heavy weight that she'd have to learn to shoulder over time with practice. Instead, she found that it was very similar to what she'd already been doing before Halloween: helping out wherever she was needed or requested to be, fulfilling various tasks she chose to take on in partnership with various department heads, and generally improving moods as she was able to using her telepathy.

But the most surprising thing was how second nature taking all of it on felt. Maybe it had to do with being so stir crazy after being inactive during her transformation, or maybe it was because she was an elf now, Elle wasn't sure. All she knew was that it felt like stepping into a comfortable pair of shoes to return to the workshop, and everyone else seemed particularly glad that she'd returned. That fact that she was warmly welcomed into the elven fold, so to speak did a lot for her confidence and overall ability to jump into the pre-Christmas fray with both feet forward.

Still, all of the cheer and efficiency and early completed deadlines and extra cocoa breaks couldn't keep her completely afloat. Due to her constantly demanding schedule, Elle had to cut most of her time with Jack—which, oddly enough, had been helping her more than she'd realized at the time. Somewhere along the lines of her time around him she'd grown fond of the braggadocio and flare and energy he always seemed to bring. As her own reserves of joy and fulfillment seemed to be running low, she could have used his frosty cheer to bolster her own courage.

Instead, she found herself spending her few spare moments on her own in her room, which she'd graciously been allowed to keep until she found an apartment or house in Elfsburg she wanted. The idea of having an entire house to herself had almost made her scoff when Santa had brought the concept up. Why have a house when it would only sit empty? It wasn't as if she had any family to live there.

The idea of finding even a flat for herself felt overwhelming amidst her new duties, so she didn't look yet. Besides, looking meant that she was ready to move fully onto her new life, and that wasn't true at all.

The rooms her sisters had stayed in had long since been cleaned and put back to their usual tidy states, no traces left of the two girls who had once stayed there. All of the things they'd left behind Ellington had brought into her own room before the cleaning crew could ask what to do with them or worse, dispose of them. They served as reminders of unanswered questions, the biggest of which was near constantly on her mind: had her decision to sacrifice her human life for her father's been made in cowardice, rather than selflessness as everyone believed? Had she simply been too afraid to face a life that was bound to end in pain and new trials?

The answer, obviously, was no. If anything, what she supposedly had been avoiding sounded exactly like what she was going through now. She hadn't avoided anything terrible for herself, not really. Being entirely alone was worse for her, at least, than losing one person. She'd lost her sisters, mother, extended family; everything in one fell swoop. So while she knew that her sacrifice was just that, a sacrifice, her "survivor's guilt" still had a field day kicking her when she was already down.

She found herself gradually losing sleep, unable to close her eyes without having nightmares so vivid she was scared awake for the rest of the night. She honestly didn't know how she was able to keep a cheerful face and mood about her all day, to the point where her effect on the Christmas cheer was still visible on the charts and general morale of the other elves. She could only assume that Bernard had been right, and that she was good at what she'd been hired to do.

Of course, no one knew that she spent most nights working on whatever projects she'd brought home with her, or out in the R and D wing tinkering around long after Quentin had gone home. Thankfully, it was one of the only parts of the workshop that wasn't staffed 24/7, which gave her a few hours of wiggle room before the early morning crew came in. If they had caught her, they might have worried at her being there alone at night. But as it were, she was left to herself, which was almost the worst thing possible.

It was one of those nights where she'd been thrown awake screaming from a nightmare that she found herself at a workbench in R and D, working on a new type of hologram projector that she had been talking to Curtis about. Oddly, she seemed to be the only one who was having luck on that particular project, and for some obsessive reason she'd found herself set on getting at least a prototype functioning before December.

She was busy losing herself in familiar music as a means of not falling asleep with a welding torch in hand when a hand on her shoulder made her jump. The torch skittered off the table, burning her hand on the way down towards the floor as she fell back against someone or some _thing_. She threw a hand out and found the tool hovering midair, sighing in relief that her mind at least hadn't failed her yet. She looked back in frustration to find who or what had startled her, still clutching her burned hand when her eyes went wide.

"I didn't know you were still here," Bernard said, his hand still holding either of her arms securely as if he wasn't sure if she were completely steady yet. "Are you okay?"

"Well here I am," Elle replied, having tugged her headphones out and snatched up the torch with her still stinging hand. She freed herself from his grip with a little twist of her shoulders, ignoring the fact that she'd felt comforted by his touch. "I'm fine, I just thought you were off duty by now."

"I was in my office, taking care of a few things," Bernard replied with a furrow of his brows, which she immediately (and accurately) took to mean 'staring at a ring box for an indefinite length of time with an ominous foreboding hanging overhead'. "But why are you here? You told me you were going home sometime around ten."

"I was—did," Elle corrected quickly, sighing and hissing in pain as she realized her finger was burned pretty well. She moved to a nearby sink and ran her finger under the tap, avoiding Bernard's scrutinous gaze.

"Then why are you back? And in R and D of all places?" She heard him shuffle a little closer and turned her head away a little, still not in the best frame of mind and not needing him to pick up on that. "You've...you've been crying." Well, there went the secrecy.

"Yeah, well, people do cry sometimes. It's natural," Elle said sarcastically, but she was too emotional for her tone to be unaffected.

"You couldn't sleep, could you?"

She didn't reply, drying her hand off and double checking her burned finger again. It was probably going to blister, which was just swell.

"Elle, talk to me."

"It's really none of your business," Elle snapped, her tone sharper than she'd used with him before. Bernard straightened, the shock clear on his face even after her own eyes had trailed down to the floor in shame. "So what if I couldn't sleep. Doesn't matter, it doesn't affect anyone or how I behave when I'm working."

"What's gotten into you?" Bewildered, Bernard trailed his eyes over her tense shoulders and lopsided hair with confusion. This wasn't anything like she'd been only a few hours earlier. It was like he was talking to an entirely different person. "I thought you were doing alright adjusting to things, that...that you were happy."

"Funny thing about 'happy'," Elle said, undeterred from her task as she reached into a drawer for a pair of protective gloves. In hindsight, she should have been wearing them before, but it didn't seem to matter by then. "It's an easy emotion to put on and take off. You know what they say about books and covers and such."

"Elle...Elle, _stop it_." Bernard's tone became insistent as he reached around and took the gloves from her, uncowed by the angry look she flashed at him. "It's late, you should be at home—"

"Why, so I can enjoy the silence?" When she put it like that, the reality of the situation sank right in for him. "Maybe you find the peace and quiet relaxing but for me, it's hellish." For the first time, he really looked at her and noticed the tired rings around her eyes, how desperate and truly miserable she seemed. She turned away, fidgeting thoughtlessly with scrap pieces on the counter. "Better to be productive than just...I don't know, wallowing in self pity?"

"I thought we talked about the whole "being productive" thing."

"Well I _don't_ really know what else do when none of my favorite things help me anymore." Elle found her vision blurring and she angrily blinked back tears, the hot tight burning in her chest not helping her stay calm by any means.

A long sigh rang out behind her in the stillness of the room. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Elle scoffed, the noise almost catching in her throat. "Why would I? You're not my therapist, or even my chaperone anymore for that matter."

"I thought I was at least a confidant," Bernard tried, with more patience than even she'd thought to expect from him.

"You're my _boss."_

"That's all? Because I used to be your friend." She turned around at that, her guilt hid in part by misery.

"Well, I've never been very good at keeping friends," She muttered, leaning against the counter and staring down at her shoes.

There was a long silence, before Bernard replied. "So that's it then. You're just going to shut me out and expect me to be okay with that."

"That's kind of the plan, yeah." Elle heard herself say apathetically, even though inside she hated every word.

"Not on my watch." Confused and irritated, Elle looked up just in time to see Bernard clap his hand onto her shoulder, and for the world to spin and go black for a moment before rematerializing around them—only they weren't in the workshop anymore, or anywhere else she recognised easily.

"Where the hell…" She began, looking around at what was quite clearly an unfamiliar house. She felt the hand leave her shoulder and looked back to find Bernard removing his satchel, a mildly obstinate look on his face as if prepared for an even longer, frustrating night of his own making. "You know, I'm starting to get really sick of you zapping me places without asking."

"Since you don't want to go to your place," he said, kicking his shoes off by the door, "I thought mine was the logical alternative."

"Your place?" Elle hadn't bothered to think about where Bernard went home to every night, and felt a little stupid for not drawing the obvious conclusion. Of course he had a house; she just hadn't expected him to ever take her there.

"Mhmm." Bernard was flipping lights on, moving about unhindered by the semi darkness. Elle, who was completely unfamiliar with her surroundings, simply held still—but still somehow managed to bump her shin painfully against a low coffee table. "So, care to tell me how you got past the night shift on the main floor? Or did you just tell them not to ask questions?"

"I uh…" This wasn't the question she'd been expecting, but she figured she did owe him an explanation. "I didn't want to walk all the way down so I just…" She trailed off into a mumble, still rubbing at her sore leg.

"What's that?" He came back into the room, a mildly insistent look on his face. Elle sighed, rolling her eyes and running a hand through her hair in embarrassment.

"I teleported."

"You teleported?"

"Yes."

"Into R and D?"

"Apparently, yes."

Bernard didn't seemed convinced, but didn't argue either. Given her other mental gifts, it might not have been too much of a stretch for her to manage teleportation too— especially now that she was number two. "How long has this been going on? You staying up and, and teleporting around at night?" He demanded, crossing his arms.

Elle, who didn't particularly enjoy being lectured on a good day (let alone during a very bad night,) simply shrugged. "Two or so weeks."

"So, nearly as soon as you were on the job?"

"I gave it a few days," she replied coolly. Her expression faltered a little. "Well, it was a few days until I accidentally poofed myself to the far side of town and figured out I had a new skill. I haven't told Jack about it yet though."

Bernard gave a long suffering sigh, lifting his gaze to the ceiling of what seemed to be his living room. "Right. Okay, so how many days a week?"

"Just about every night."

"So saying you're sleep deprived is an understatement?"

"I'm not feeling it, so I wouldn't say I'm sleep deprived to begin with."

"Just because you don't feel it, doesn't meant you aren't. Trust me, I've done more than my share of time being under rested. I'm an expert at this sort of thing, and from the looks of it you aren't going to keep this up much longer without crashing."

"Well, unless you can think of a way to get rid of chronic nightmares, I don't think there's much to do about it." Elle plunked down onto the sofa, her body aching in spite of her bravado. She knew he was right; she was close to her breaking point. She was just trying to ignore it, because she didn't have any sort way to cope. "Hismus tried giving me pills for it and all they did was make me sleep harder, so that I couldn't get _out_ of the dreams once they started. After a few nights of that, I wasn't so keen on taking them anymore."

She cradled her head in her hands, staring down at the ornamental rug beneath her feet dejectedly. "Some elf I am, hmm? Not even a month in and I'm falling apart at the seams." Feeling like a failure as an elf as well as a human wasn't exactly the best feeling, on top of everything else.

To her irritation, Bernard started chuckling. She looked up, an angry quirk to her brow. "Laugh it up, fuzzball," she quoted, exasperated.

"Sorry, sorry." Bernard sunk down onto the cushion beside her, taking a humorous look around at his barely used living room and trying to choose his words carefully. Still, he was smirking in an effort not to laugh again. "I hate to say this, but for someone who is literally getting paid to keep things calm, you have a real habit of over exaggerating a situation when it's personal."

"Is everyone around here a licensed psychologist?" Elle asked, and if she hadn't been so angry she might have been about to cry. She'd kept her plight to herself to avoid inconveniencing anyone, and when she'd finally told him he'd laughed at her. "Because I'm getting really tired of having everyone's "good advice" shoved down my throat—especially when none of it seems to be helping, and I didn't even ask for it in the first place."

"It is my job to make sure you're adjusting well, actually. And if it weren't, I'd still care about it. In case you'd forgotten, I've been trying to be there for you—when I'm not completely ignorant to what's going on," he added ruefully, because his track record wasn't exactly as good as he'd have liked it to be.

"Well I didn't ask you to."

"You didn't need to!" Both Elle and Bernard were both surprised at his strident tone, and she was too shocked to speak. He sighed, running a hand down his face. "Look, I'm not trying to say that I'm good at being a comfort to you. I'm just saying, I'm _trying_. Really, I am. I know what it's like to be pulled away from everything you know and are familiar with and care about to come up here and start over." Seeing that she didn't seem surprised by that news, he frowned. "You knew that?"

"Charlie might have given me a general idea of your history here. But only general."

"Ah." His expression grew suspicious. "And under what conversation topic did my backstory become relevant?" Obviously, he was worried she'd spilled his problems to Santa's son, which was an extremely worrying concept.

Elle shrugged, her gaze going back to her feet. For the first time Bernard realized that she wasn't wearing shoes, only fuzzy socks, which made her teleportation story that much more likely. "He wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting into, with taking on my new duties. He was concerned that I was too naive and enthusiastic to think things through."

"And do you feel he was right?"

"Of course not." Her reply was immediate and sure. "Charlie only meant well, I know that. And it's true, if I overthink work like I do everything else, it _does_ almost seem like too much for me to handle. But when I stop thinking about it and just do what comes naturally to me, everything goes smoothly. Or at least, that's what's been happening so far." She sighed, leaning her head tiredly against the back of the couch as somewhere in the house, a clock chimed one am.

The sound seemed to shake her from her mood enough to realize what the situation was and how much she was imposing. "It's late, really late," she said with a second sigh. "I should get out of your hair; you've had a long enough day and I'm pretty sure your morning starts before mine—"

"Nonsense." Bernard's tone was tired, but still engaged. "I didn't bring you here to feel like you're in trouble and leave even more upset. You're not in trouble, and I know I haven't done much to ease your mind."

"No offense, but I'm not sure there's much you can do to ease my mind," Elle pointed out, an eyebrow quirked in tired resignation.

"I can help by keeping you company." This was a confusing answer, but the head elf didn't seem to be bothered by it until she made a questioning noise. "It's helped before, right? When I'd stay with you until you fell asleep?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted in surprise. She'd never really stopped to think about it that way.

"Okay. Then why wouldn't that work now?"

"Because it's ridiculous to expect you to hold my hand until I fall asleep every night!" Elle couldn't help but laugh, falling back into the sofa cushions with giggles at the image in her head. "Good grief, it's not like I need to be more childish. I'm surprised you'd even suggest that."

For some reason, perhaps it having something to do with the late hour, Bernard couldn't help but laugh too. On second thought, he realized he was laughing because of the sound of her laughing, which was interesting. It wasn't the first time he'd found her laughter contagious, it was just the first time he'd noticed it—and how pretty she was when she wasn't upset and pensive. "It just seemed like the logical thing," he said, once they'd settled down a little.

"It wasn't a bad idea, just an unconventional one and something I wouldn't ask of you," she pointed out, turning to look at him with less embarrassment than she'd had so far. She grew thoughtful. "I guess it really is true that you have a way of...I don't know. Calming me down?"

"Considering that most people don't think of me as the comforting type, I'd say that's quite an accomplishment."

"Yeah." It was true; even then she felt very at home just sitting in the living room of his house in the dead of night. It was a strange feeling of peace she had whenever he was around, and until very recently she'd thought it was just a sort of aura he had about him. That is, until she mentioned it to Judy, who had suggested that it might be something Ellington alone felt. Since Bernard was, of course, everyone's boss, and the feeling that usually went with him was one of "work harder, work faster, make quotas".

So if that meant that she was the only one who felt it, was there something to the feeling? At one am, it didn't feel so frightening or bad for her to think that maybe—just maybe—she did have feelings for him, after all. _'Feelings' feelings,_ she thought to herself, and was surprised when Bernard frowned and went a little pink.

"What's got you thinking about feelings all of a sudden?" He asked, avoiding her gaze. Elle, called out in a way she hadn't been planning on, went red.

"I uh, nothing. Nothing in particular." She tried to play off the fact that she'd entirely forgotten he could hear her louder thoughts when they were close and, moreover, alone. "So," she began, deciding to turn the tables. "Do you want to tell me the real reason you were staying late? If you want," she added, seeing his face grow defensive, "you can just say 'taking care of things' again, and I won't ask anymore."

Now it was Bernard's turn to feel on the spot. He sighed, resting his elbow on the armrest and his cheek on his fist. "I don't suppose there's any point lying to you. You already know, don't you?"

Elle shrugged gently, looking down at her lap. "Couldn't help it, sorry. Your mind was kind of shouting at me, and I think we've confirmed that it's hard to block thoughts between us anyway."

"It's okay, it's not your fault. I'm not mad, just..." He sighed again. "I'm just tired, that's all." It was easy for her to read how dejected and overwhelmed he felt, and not from work. From his 'situation'.

"I'm sorry."

Bernard looked over at her, mildly confused. "It's not your fault—"

"I know." Elle's words were calm, but sympathetic. "I'm still sorry you're having to go through all of this, especially at such a stressful time of year." She examined the back of her hands thoughtfully, chewing her lip. "What I was _trying_ to get at the last time we were talking about this was, if there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it. And I don't mean that lightly." She snorted softly. "One of the best ways I know of to ignore my own situation is to help someone else with theirs."

"Isn't that what we're both doing?"

That made both of them chuckle again, because he was right. They had never really finished talking about what had happened before, had they? But there might not have been anything to talk about after all, Elle realized. Maybe she had just been reading into the situation too much. That sounded like something she'd do. Reassured by this thought, she found the courage to speak up once more.

"Come on, Bernard," she said coaxingly, her expression earnest. It felt easier to be honest, and she knew that was the late hour talking. Still, she didn't check herself, which she would come to regret later. "You've seen inside my head. If it's that easy for me of all people to form a crush on you, you can bet your boots someone else is. Maybe you're just not looking in the right places, you know?"

Bernard observed her for a moment, no defensive expression on his features. He looked like he was realizing something, or coming to terms with an idea he'd been thinking of for some time. "Maybe," he replied with a tiny nod, and before Elle could think to ask what was wrong (or take a look at his thoughts to find out directly,) he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_13_.

For the first time in a very long while, Ellington's mind was completely blank.

It might have been the shock, or the experience itself, or the sheer disbelief at what was happening. Coming to look back on it later, she would wish that she'd pulled away, right away. But instead, all she'd done was sit in a semi-frozen state of confusion until Bernard pulled back carefully, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Was that…?" He began, and the words went straight through Elle's ears. It wasn't that she hadn't found his kiss enjoyable—if the warm, tingly buzz she had from head to toe was any indication, she'd liked it a _lot_ —it was just the suddenness of the action that left her speechless. This was perhaps the most un-Bernard-like behavior she'd ever seen from him, and he'd already been uncharacteristically patient and kind to her. Oh god, was this why? Had she been so busy trying not to fall for him that she'd missed the signs that he was falling for _her?_

"Oh." Bernard looked down, his cheeks bright red as he let out a soft, embarrassed snort. "That was...I must've misread the situation."

Red lights and warning bells began going off in Elle's head. Did she want him to think she hadn't wanted that kiss? Was this the best way of letting him down..and did she even want that? There wasn't enough time to process what she was really feeling as he began to lean away. "Wait." Before she knew what she was doing she'd grabbed the front of his shirt, gently tugging him back—and was it just her, or did he seem ready for a second kiss? Because he didn't pull away, or even act surprised really. He just kind of melted under her touch, his hands reaching for her and pulling her in a little closer. She was in no mood to protest.

An indefinite time passed, but when they separated it might have been a thousand years for how different the mood in the room was. The dark, lingering foreboding was gone, replaced by a light, hopeful air of promise. Elle's hands finally left his shirt, finding it hard to meet his amused if not happy gaze.

"So...back to what you were saying about looking in the right places."

Elle couldn't help but smile, ducking her head and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "What makes you think I'm the right place?" She asked humorously, but it was obvious she was genuinely asking.

"You're telling me you didn't just get chills," Bernard said matter-of-factly, but not unkindly. At some point he'd picked up her hands, and was now stroking his thumbs soothingly across them. _As though he already knew she was about to have a panic attack from nerves,_ she realized, almost shaking her head at that idea before thinking that that was definitely the wrong response to his question.

"Well…I mean…" She sighed, letting go of her argument. "Of course I did."

"So there's definitely something there. The only question is...do we want to pursue it?"

Elle was surprised that he was giving her a choice. Obviously it showed on her face, from his response.

"What, did you think I'd _order_ you to date me?"

"I don't know what I was expecting, to be completely honest, but it wasn't this," Elle admitted. "I didn't expect to be caught and I didn't expect to come home with you and I _certainly_ didn't expect to…" she paused, dropping her voice a notch even though there was no one around to hear them. "To be kissing on your couch at this hour of the night."

"That's understandable. Can't say I really planned for it either."

She looked at him sideways. "You're oddly calm about all of this."

Bernard sighed lightly and gave a little shrug. "I don't know. It's like I'm surprised but...not, at the same time? Like this should have been obvious. Maybe it's just me. I'm new to"—he's gestured between them as if it explained things— "to this."

"That makes both of us." Elle felt a strange sense of conflict within herself, as though she were both extremely comfortable with what was happening, and at the same time wanted to run as far away from it as possible. "Listen, B…"

He nodded attentively at the use of her nickname, and she felt her stomach sink at what she was about to say. "Just because we can agree on this, um, you know. This _feeling,_ doesn't mean it's a good idea."

Bernard frowned in confusion. "But you just said…" he paused, able to feel her upset. "Talk to me. Tell me what you're really thinking," he asked, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze.

Elle chewed the inside of her cheek, knowing that what she was about to say was going to screw any chance she had with him. But in her worried state of mind, self-sabotage seemed like the best option. "It's complicated," she said finally. "But the bottom line is...I can't do this, with you. I...I just can't. I'm not ready." She looked directly at him, eyes unwavering with conviction. "So I think you should stop thinking about me, and find somebody who _is."_

Unable to hold back her emotions anymore, Elle pulled her hands away. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, getting up off the couch and making sure she hadn't lost anything she'd come with before looking back up at a speechless, confused Bernard. "We can pretend this never happened, if that makes it easier?" She suggested, but he didn't reply, only staring at her in disbelief. That only made her more flustered and upset. "Right. Um...I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Bernard."

Throughout all of this, it seemed that the head elf was only staring blankly. In reality (and if Ellington had been in a better mindset to check) he was sorting through _why_ she was saying this, why she was trying to stop what was happening between them when she clearly felt the same way he did. It had all seemed so simple for a moment, and he wondered if that clarity frightened her. He knew that it might be a lot to take in, considering how tumultuous her month had been, but he thought it was the perfect answer—no, the _reason_ why he'd been the only one to be able to get through to her. And if the Clause was in any way involved, then that was probably true.

But it also made sense why she would be afraid of it. The Clause had cost her her family, and everyone she loved. No wonder she was wary of a new type of love that the same Clause was handing to her; it only made sense. By the time he realized all of that though, Elle was in tears on his carpet, then vanishing in a poof of silver sparks.

"Elle, wait!" She was already gone, he could only hope to wherever she'd intended to go. Teleportation could be tricky, and she was new to it. Bernard swore under his breath, rising to his feet and swearing again before kicking angrily at the sofa. Why was it he was always just a little too late at interpreting her moods?

Maybe it was just because she wasn't willing to slow down for him.

* * *

The next few days were...tense, for the lack of a better term. It was quite clear to everyone that something had changed between Bernard and Elle, something personal, and that whatever it was, it had been frustrating and had ended with much left unsaid. At least, that's what they could tell from Bernard's side of things, because he spent a great part of the day looking in Elle's direction when she was in the room, like he was about to go and talk to her, only to sigh and return to whatever he was doing looking twice as troubled as he had before.

Elle, for her part, was as cool as a cucumber. Sure, she might have gone home that night and cried herself to sleep, but so what? That wasn't something she couldn't shake off, right? A few days proved that true, as she seemed almost completely over it.

Or it could have been from the extra time she was spending with Jack. He was helping her fine tune her teleporting ability, so that she didn't have any more mishaps in _that_ regard. Not that her mind was focused, by any means. She'd thought that turning Bernard down was for the best, that it would help him move on and help her find some sort of closure. But instead, she found a constant knot in her stomach, and the heavy weight of a bad decision on her shoulders. What if she _was_ the one Bernard was supposed to find, and she'd somehow messed everything up?

As guilt-inducing as that idea was, she hoped it meant that the arrangement would pass on to some other, better suited she-elf who didn't have a ton and a half of newly formed emotional baggage. Even if Bernard thought he'd wanted her, Elle liked to think that she knew herself better than he did. This was for the best—and his future happiness, even if he didn't like it much now.

Whether or not she was miserable didn't seem to matter much, because she'd already been before that night. The fact that for a moment with him she'd actually been happy was an easily forgettable thing when she was so sure of her position.

At least, that was what she kept telling herself. In reality she was constantly trying not to think about what had happened between her and Bernard, and the fact that she was trying _not_ to think of it meant that she nearly always _was._ It was the worst kind of contradiction and she knew it, but there was nothing she could do. The only solution would have been to _talk_ to him about what had happened, and there was no way she wanted to open _that_ can of worms again.

So instead she buried herself in her workload and her practice, ignoring Jack's sly jibes at her lack of interaction with her boss.

"It's not like you to try and interact with Scott himself instead of Mr. Head Elf, now is it?" He'd pointed out. "What's put a hitch in your prospective giddy-up, hmm? You two having some sort of a lovers spat?"

Elle had merely rolled her eyes. "For us to be having a lovers spat we'd have to _be_ lovers, Jack. And we're not. We're co-workers, and that's all. Haven't you heard about the horrors of dating in the workplace?"

"Well you know what Cupid says. 'Love finds a way'," Jack quipped, noting Elle's snort of disapproval with satisfaction. It seemed that _something_ had managed to roadblock any sort of relationship progress without the sprite's intervention, which was a pleasant idea. Or, it would have been if Elle's mood hadn't become so frigid.

"Why all this talk of _love_ all of a sudden? You do know it's November, not February," she replied disdainfully, but her face betrayed a strange kind of sadness.

"No reason. Just rumors going around with around the little people, that's all."

Great, _rumors_ among the elves. The last thing she needed. " _Okay,_ I'll bite. What rumors, Jack?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just that you and Beanie-baby had a falling out over some type of feelings on his part and you left him in the cold." Jack twirled his fingers carelessly, creating a snowball and tossing it lightly in the air a few times.

Elle paused, the pawn she was telepathically maneuvering clattering down onto the chess board and knocking over a few other pieces. Her look of shock and dismay could have been seen from space. "What?"

"So it's true then?"

"Wha—no! Well, it's...I don't know." Elle sighed, resting her cheek on her fist dejectedly. Jack grew intrigued, letting the snowball crumble into dusty snow and fall to the ground before leaning forward eagerly.

"You can tell me, if you want. If you feel like talking about it, that is. I'd hate to press a sensitive subject."

"No offense Jack, but every time I try to talk to someone about my problems lately it doesn't end well," Elle pointed out, absently setting the chess pieces aright by hand.

"Well, maybe that's because you've been taking to the wrong person! Try me." Sometimes he wished he hadn't taught her to guard her thoughts quite so well, because it was impossible to get any information out of her without her volunteering it.

Elle viewed Jack with a long scrutinous look before sighing resignedly and launching into the tale. By the time she'd finished, her lunch break was nearly over and Jack seemed thoroughly amused.

"It isn't funny, Jack! Stop giggling."

"I'm not giggling," the frosty legend protested, which was promptly followed by a half-swallowed bout of chuckles. Seeing the elf's expression go deadpan, he held up his hands appealingly. "Okay, okay, I'll take it seriously. It's just I never thought _Bernard_ would be the type to pout over rejection."

"That's not a nice way of putting it. I feel really bad about this Jack, the least you could do is not make me feel like more of an ass." She stared down at the board, realizing she was losing the game both literally and figuratively. "I didn't want to turn him down, but it felt like the right thing to do."

"May I ask why?"

Elle considered this for a long moment. "Well, first off, probably because I wasn't very honest with him. It's not that I think is dating would be a _bad_ idea, it's just...I'm a loose cannon, you know? You've seen how I lose control of my powers when I'm upset—and how often I _do_ lose control of my emotions. I don't want to hurt him, physically or otherwise."

For the first time, Jack could clearly see what Cupid had been talking about. Elle really didn't trust herself not to hurt any and everyone she cared about-which, to be honest, was a feeling he could relate to himself. The only downside was that his method of coping with that feeling was similar to hers, so he had no better advice to offer.

"In that case, I think you made the right choice," he said finally, and she glanced up in mild surprise.

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"Well if you really don't want to hurt him, and you think you're not a good match, then the kindest thing to do is turn him down early on—even if it hurts him now, he'll be glad he didn't waste his time later," Jack said, not really paying attention to how that sounded until afterward. Oh well. Regrettably, the worse she felt about Bernard made her all the more safe from the Clause, which was his main concern.

"Huh. I guess when you put it that way it is the kinder solution." Elle shrugged, getting up and slipping her coat on. Jack followed suit, knowing that their time for the day was over. "That was my thinking too. I suppose it'll just take some time for this to all blow over."

"Of course! And when it does, I'm sure everything will be just fine between you and Bernard. You'll probably be able to go back to your old friendship like nothing ever happened! Wouldn't that be sweet?" As much as he couldn't stomach those words, it helped to plant that little extra seed of doubt.

Elle laughed softly, shaking her head. "I'm afraid that's just wishful thinking, but thanks Jack. See you tomorrow."

"Say, speaking of tomorrow," Jack added quickly, holding up a finger to catch her attention. "Why don't we call off the training, hmm? Let's just take a day off...a snow day, if you will. Let's have some _fun_ , to take your mind off things." His eager expression proved that he was earnestly trying to help, and Elle found she couldn't turn him down. With a sigh, she smiled.

"Okay, sounds like a deal."

"Great! I'll take care of all the planning."

Obviously, Jack's insight didn't help at all, nor did his attempts at creating a diversion. She still felt ill at ease with her decision and that feeling had carried on as long as she kept the silence between her and Bernard. That silence was mostly her fault though, as any time they were in the same room or communicating she stuck only to business and no small talk. Meanwhile, Bernard looked like he was about to burst from things he wasn't saying, which made the situation very charged for anyone else involved.

Thankfully, they were both equally busy. That was the only thing keeping the situation from escalating further, especially since Bernard didn't seem to be taking Ellington's hint and finding someone else to be with. At least, as far as Elle could tell, which was serving to make her all the more exasperated and tired. She couldn't _force_ him to find his happy ending, but she couldn't help but feel he was using her as a roadblock, and that was frustrating because she couldn't address it without probably causing a huge fight.

So instead of having the conversation she needed to with Bernard, Elle busied herself with her duties and a plethora of side projects. She now had regular Friday appointments with Archie from the Music department, plus a good six hour window on that day when she was free to play whatever playlist of music she chose over the airwaves—and, over the workshop speakers as well. Archie had dubbed it "pop culture friday", and it seemed that the elves enjoyed it as much as Elle appreciated a break from the Christmas tunes.

It didn't seem to matter much that she wasn't sleeping. Bernard was the only person who had known about that and apparently, he hadn't told anyone. That made sense, as he'd probably have to explain how he found out and that would be a story he wouldn't want to share. Either way, Elle was grateful. With Bernard relatively out of her hair and her job well in hand, she was just distracted enough to not notice other people cluing in on the situation.

"Nice work there, Henry!" The sound of Santa's voice jogged her from her task. She was currently helping Curtis troubleshoot some of the more problematic toys, ones that had been put on hold for production because of their faulty behavior. She looked up to find Scott bent over at the front of the room, inspecting a new type of scooter board they'd been working on over the past few weeks.

"Thank you, sir! We couldn't have done it without Miss Elle's help!" Henry offered helpfully, rolling out of the room on the device.

"Is that so?" Santa nodded, resting a hand on his belly as he watched the elf go. "I need to get one of those...probably with a higher weight limit, though."

"I'm sure that can be arranged." Elle's stomach sank at the second voice, and she sharply turned back to her own station. It took her a moment of brief disorientation before she picked up a pencil and began scribbling down a few lines of faulty code she'd found in the handheld game consoles she'd been inspecting.

"Everything looking alright in here, number two?" Santa's voice over her shoulder made her sigh and look back with a half forced smile. Unfortunately, Bernard was just a few paces behind him, with his hands clasped behind his back and an unreadable expression on his face.

"Perfectly fine, boss. Just finishing up." She finished scribbling down a few more numbers before passing the slip to another elf. "Thank you, David. I think these should be alright now."

"Thank _you_! We've been behind on these for weeks and can't seem to get anyone qualified from tech to come up and take a look. We're just lucky you know how to script this stuff. It's beyond me," the elf explained with a happy chuckle before carrying the paper and the toy away, the bells on his hat jingling merrily.

Santa seemed satisfied with the situation. "Nice to see things are well in hand."

"I do my best," Elle replied with a slight shrug and a smile.

"Just out of curiosity, is there anything you _can't_ do? Because there's a rumor going around the workshop that anything you set your hand to, you seem to be able to figure it out."

"There are a few things I'm not so great at. Sometimes, downright _awful._ " Elle went slightly pink, her eyes involuntarily casting back at Bernard before hitting the floor. "Now if you'll excuse me sir, I'm late for my rounds in wrapping." She scooted around the table and made for the door, clutching a clipboard against her chest and threading her pencil behind her ear. That had been a close one.

Scott watched her go, intrigued before he turned to Bernard with a knowing look. "You're not going to go after her?"

"Excuse me?" Bernard seemed taken aback by the suggestion, to which Santa could only roll his eyes and cross his arms.

"Oh come _on,_ Bernard. It's been almost impossible to get you two in the same room for weeks. I do you the favor of getting you face-to-face with her, and you can't even muster up a 'hello', let alone try and _fix_ whatever it is going on between you guys?"

"Nothing is _going on_ between us," Bernard replied, with just a little too much snap for what the situation called for.

"And you seem a little upset about that."

The head elf's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull and took a tumble to the floor. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm merely suggesting that things haven't been the same between you and Ellington since what happened on the 13th."

The color drained out of Bernard face, and Scott sighed patiently, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Did you _really_ think I was in the dark all this time?"

"I certainly didn't think you knew about something that happened in what I _thought_ was the privacy of my own home!"

"I'm _Santa Claus._ You know how the whole deal works. 'He sees you when you're sleeping?'"

"'He knows when you're awake'," Bernard muttered, running a hand down his face as he realized his mistake. He swore under his breath, causing Scott's eyebrows to jump in surprise. "Can we talk about this somewhere else? Your office, maybe?"

While Scott didn't want to let the opportunity pass, he figured the talk he needed to have with Bernard was more crucial. "Fine, but when we're done, you're _going_ to talk to her."

"Or?"

"Or _else_ ," Scott replied vaguely, which seemed to do the trick. He headed for his office, Bernard swallowing roughly before following in his footsteps. Since Santa knew about his and Elle's...moment, did that mean he knew about the Clause too? Oh, tinsel.

* * *

"So," Scott said, taking a seat at his desk as the elf closed the door to the study. He kicked his boots up onto the wooden surface as Bernard settled opposite in an armchair, looking uncomfortable. "What do you want to discuss first? The Clause, or the more personal effects it's having on your relationship with Elle?"

"I don't _have a relationship with Elle."_

"And like I said before, you seem a bit upset about that."

"Since when have you been taking counseling tips from Neil?" Bernard snapped, glaring out from under his hat. On second thought, addressing his boss in that tone was really unwise, but Scott didn't seem too fazed by it.

"Easy there, number one. This isn't something to get scroogey about, okay? I think you're forgetting there was a time I was in a pair of shoes very similar to yours. Remember the Mrs. Clause?"

"How many times do I have to say: this isn't anything like the Mrs. Clause," the elf grumbled, sinking down in his chair in a pout that was almost comical. He crossed his arms like a frustrated child, scowling from under his fringe as if everyone and everything was out to get him.

"How is it not? You've got to find a wife and it seems that somehow, you've got Ellington singled out as your best choice! That's kind of a big deal."

"Yeah, it is. Which is precisely _why_ I didn't want it to come up. Because it's very personal, and…" He trailed off, his thoughts returning for what must've been the thousandth time to the events of the night Elle seemed so keen to forget.

"And she turned you down." Bernard didn't look up, his gaze locked on the toes of his shoes. "Not flat—in fact, she was pretty gentle about it—but she did turn you down."

"You don't say."

"Come on, Bernard. Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

"Really? _I'm_ the one making this difficult? Because if you ask me, _I'm_ not the source of the problem here. I'm not the one who was unwilling to _try_."

The injured tone in the elf's voice betrayed just how wounded he was by that. Scott moved forward, intrigued, dropping his feet to the floor and leaning his elbows onto the desk. "That really got to you, didn't it?"

Bernard only shrugged, and for a moment he really looked like a dejected teenager rather than an elf of his age and position. "Even when I know _why_ she's decided that, it doesn't make me feel better because I don't honestly think I can change her mind. Once she's decided something, it's easier to convince a brick wall to grow legs and walk than to get her to reconsider. It's _infuriating._ "

"What makes you think you _should_ try and convince her otherwise?" Bernard's disbelieving stare made Scott sigh. "Bernard, really. Answer the question."

"You should know," he said sarcastically, but his voice cracked in the wrong place. "You saw us. It was…" He stared at the fireplace, chewing his bottom lip. "For a moment, it was perfect. It all made sense. And then, her fears kicked in again and before I could try and form a rebuttal for any of it, she was gone. Case closed, without her wanting to speak of it again. She's been avoiding me ever since, and I haven't felt like testing that boundary because…"

"Because you're afraid she'll change her mind, and that's equally frightening?"

"No, because I'm afraid I'll make it even _worse."_ Bernard sighed again, gritting his teeth. "This is why Nicholas never should have written me into this situation. I'm an _elf,_ I shouldn't have anything to do with something as definite as a Clause!"

"I'll admit it does seem a bit drastic," Scott agreed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "But I think he just wanted what was best for you."

"And he didn't trust me to make that decision? For myself?"

"Well to be fair, you're a good procrastinator when it comes to your personal life." That got Scott another glare. "Okay, touchy subject. But I think you're missing something important. You _did_ make the decision, overall. The Clause didn't tell you who to love, it just suggested that one of the Emissaries might be a good choice."

"Curtis showed you the Clause."

"After I badgered it out of him, yeah. He seemed terrified of what you'd do to him if he spilled the beans, but luckily, his sense of duty as the Keeper of the Handbook won out." Scott crossed his arms, growing matter-of-fact. "Bernard, you picked Ellington, didn't you?"

"Well…" It seemed obvious when Scott put it that way. He really _had_ set his hopes in her, hadn't he? And when she'd turned him down, he still kept hanging on, as if for dear life and against logic, to that hope. If that didn't make clear his choice, then what did? "Yes, when you put it that way. I guess I did."

"You _guess."_ Scott rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "After I found out about the rest of the Clause, I went to Cupid. Turns out he knew about it too, but do you want to know the real bit of news?"

"What?" The idea the Cupid had been involved with the Clause even after he'd warned him to keep his distance put an irritated twitch in Bernard's eye.

"He never intervened. Apparently, you told him to back off, so he watched and waited and you know what? You two found your way to each other in the end, without his help."

"That's not too surprising, I don't think his arrows work on elves anyway."

"You're missing the point!"

"And what _is_ the point, Santa?" Bernard turned his gaze back, looking nonplussed. "That I managed to give myself heartbreak without Cupid's help? Great. Maybe I _should_ have let him arrange things." Immediately, he reconsidered. "Nah, it'd just be a bigger mess that way. Bad idea."

"Being hopeless isn't going to help your situation."

"Do you have a better idea? Because I'm all ears."

"Yeah, the _obvious_ idea. Talk to her."

"I'm not going to do that."

"You're going to do what then? Sit on your hands and wait for her to come crawling back to you—hopefully?"

"She won't."

"So you're telling me you're resigning to being miserable."

"That's about right."

"Doesn't sound like the Bernard I know." Bernard rolled his eyes at that, hating that his boss was right. He wasn't acting like himself and he hadn't been for quite some time. "The Bernard I know wouldn't leave a conflict unresolved and _definitely_ would chase after something he needed."

"I don't _need_ her!"

"Your behavior says differently. You're acting like an angsty teen, you know that?"

"I'm allowed to be upset! I'm supposed to find someone to love and so far, all I've found is heartbreak!"

Scott exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes in an effort not to completely lose his patience with his head elf.

Before he could reply though, Charlie came into the room, a pair of ice skates slung over his shoulder. "Hey, dad! And Bernard." He gave a cheerful wave in the elf's direction.

"Heya, sport. What's up?" Scott replied, Bernard remaining uncharacteristically silent.

"I was just gonna take Buddy to go and try out his new blades in the courtyard. Carol told me make sure that was okay with you?" Charlie looked between his father and the head elf, his expression growing sly. "Ah, so you're finally talking to him about it, hmm?"

"I thought it had gone on long enough."

Bernard sighed tiredly. It seems as much as he'd thought he was keeping his cards close to his chest, more than a few people had been peering over his shoulder at the romantic failure of a hand he'd been dealt. "You know too, Charlie?"

The eldest Calvin boy chuckled. "Pretty sure most of Elfsburg knows. Between Elle avoiding you and you visibly pining over her...word spread from the workshop that something went down."

"Ah." That wasn't reassuring. So the whole city knew of his situation, fan _tastic._

"You are aware Elle is head over heels for you, right?"

"As if." This caught Bernard's attention though, and made his stomach do an odd, hopeful jump as he tried not to get too excited. He looked over at Charlie sideways, trying not to seem too desperate. "How do you mean?"

"Just what I said. When I talked to her about what was going on between the two of you, she was using classic evasion techniques to avoid talking about how _she_ felt—"

"Wow, the Miller household really does take its toll."

"Psych 203. Bite me," Charlie replied, arching an eyebrow before continuing. " _But_ , by the way she was taking into account _your_ emotions over her own, I'd say that she's got a lot of respect for you and doesn't want to test her luck with making you happy. In spite of the fact that she's, you know, obsessing over the situation. Much like you are." Seeing Bernard's uncertain huff, he grinned and shook his head. "You two are so stubborn, it's ridiculous."

"Thanks for the tip, Charlie," Scott said, grinning as much as his son was at the moody expression on Bernard's face. "Just make sure Buddy wears a coat, okay? Carol's been worried he's going to catch a cold or something if he keeps going out in only his sweater and gloves."

"Sure." Charlie turned to go, giving Bernard a playful little salute. "Good luck, number one. I'm sure you've got this under control."

Bernard only gave a small smile in reply, waiting tensely until the door to the study had clicked shut again. Then he turned his attention back to the man in red, his gaze anxious and wary. "What do you think I should _do,_ Santa? Everyone seems to be of the same opinion that I need to talk to her, but what do I say? How do I explain this?"

Scott thought about it for a moment. "Why don't you tell her everything you haven't? The truth about how you feel, for starts, and then see where the conversation takes you from there."

"When you say it like that, it almost sounds simple."

Santa shrugged, a wise twinkle in his eye. "There's nothing that says it can't be."

* * *

"Luke? This aren't the fixtures I'm looking for." Elle's voice echoed out from underneath the train car she was repairing, only her legs from the knees down visible. There was the faint noise of a power drill and a clang. It was around six o clock, most of the other elves were at dinner, and she'd already finished her rounds in wrapping.

"You sure?" Luke was the head of Engineering, and was a bit of a chatterbox. He'd paused a long excited mostly one-sided conversation about potentially installing electric rails throughout the workshop for better convenience to answer her, a confused look on his face behind a pair of welding glasses. "Could've sworn I double checked them yesterday. Wanna take a look at the numbers first?"

At this point, Bernard entered the room, easily able to tell she was in it from the music echoing into the hall. He gave Luke a nod and Luke grinned back, still tapping his toe to the beat of the music. He tipped his head in the direction of where Elle's feet were visible as if asking a question, and Bernard nodded again with an apologetic smile.

"No, I don't need to see the identification numbers!" She sighed and a loud bang came from under the car. "Ow! Dammit. Never mind, I don't need them. Can you pass me that Allen wrench on the table? Next to the bolt gun." There was a pause, and before he could reply she groaned. "Actually, never mind. I've got it." A hand popped out from under the car and a few seconds later, the wrench flew into her hand. Loud cranking noises followed shortly after.

"Ah, Miss Elle? You have a visitor," Luke informed her, setting his goggles atop his head and grabbing his jacket. "And now, I'm off for the night. We can pick up where we left off tomorrow, if you'd like!"

"Nah, I'm just gonna" —there was a loud squeak of metal on metal— "finish up here. It'll just take me a few minutes. I'll shut off the lights when I leave. Have a good night!"

"You too!"

Luke left the building, and in the newfound privacy Bernard felt equal parts relieved and nervous. "Daft Punk, huh?" He said quietly, looking at the speakers the music was coming from at a respectful level.

"Hello to you too." Elle sounded as if she was speaking around something. There was a few more cranking noises and a bang and then she rolled out from under the car, a few stray screws between her lips. She set them aside and took her goggles off, setting those on a bench. "Didn't expect to see you again today."

She seemed like her old self, unbothered by the unresolved issues between them. It occurred to Bernard that it was possible all of the stress he was feeling was one-sided. "Yeah, well. Thought I should stop by."

"Really?" Elle's tone of false surprise was disheartening. "I thought that we didn't do that kind of thing anymore." Her focus was still on the train, pushing it over and flipping a few switches. "What made you change your mind?"

"Santa, mostly," Bernard replied, knowing that lying to her was always a bad idea. "And Charlie. And my conscience, there are a lot of reasons, actually. Do you um…" he trailed off, nerves getting the best of him again. That wasn't normally a problem for him, and he wondered why it was becoming one now. Maybe it was simply because of how aloof she was behaving.

"Do I what?" The car came to life, lighting up and slowly rolling back on the track to meet the rest of the train. Elle hooked it to the back of the last car and shut the power off, turning to look at him expectantly.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go and get something to eat."

Elle raised an eyebrow.

"Or if you've already had dinner, maybe something to drink?"

"Oh?" She washed her hands and peeled out of the lab coat she was wearing, a slight smirk on her lips. "You know, if you needed the room to yourself you could have just asked."

"What?" Realizing his mistake, Bernard grimaced and shook his head. "No, Elle, that's not what I—"

"I know what you meant." Elle looked back at him in the process of putting her coat on with an amused and indecisive expression. "I was planning on watching the new _Star Wars_ movie tonight, when I got off."

"Oh, well. If you had plans, then I guess I'll uh..." The pink flush of embarrassment across his cheeks did something to Elle's intent to turn him down, making her stomach do that little jump thing that she'd missed over the past few weeks. He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking around the room as if for something to make him look less desperate. She sighed and shut off the music, knowing that she was going to cave in spite of her intentions to keep her distance. She'd just have to find a way to make it through the evening and hold onto her convictions, rather than falling for his persuasions.

"But since you asked so nicely…" Elle shrugged lightly, giving him a smile for the first time in a long while as the hope sprang back into his face.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_14._

Things never happen the same way twice.

That's what Elle kept telling herself as she followed Bernard downtown, a strange sense of deja-vu coming over her with each step. In spite of her personal reassurances, though, she still had a worrying thought in the back of her mind. She didn't want to think about what it was, artfully avoiding her mind's attempts to address the problem.

No doubt, Bernard just wanted to discuss how best to improve their work relationship. That made sense, right? December was coming up, and with it day zero; they needed to be a well oiled machine of a team rather than two teenagers who were unable to speak to each other because of bad blood.

But still, there were a few things about the situation that weren't adding up. First of all, if this were a work-related discussion, then his tone would have been much more matter-of-fact and a _lot_ less timid. That didn't bode well. Secondly, if it were a business thing, then why were they walking to the restaurant? Sure it was twilight and the street lamps were on, with a gentle snowfall swirling about their ears. The entirety of Elfsburg was cast in soft, lavender light, and the streets were quiet. It was the perfect weather to enjoy the scenery, and here they were walking shoulder-to-shoulder and taking their time. That wasn't something that was necessary, though.

And while she didn't like to admit it to herself, she was _enjoying_ it.

The silence was more comfortable than she'd expected, almost as if they had wordlessly fallen back into a pattern they'd forgotten. She'd missed the comfort of his presence; of the safe, familiar feeling he offered and that apparently only she experienced. While Elle didn't want to grow too familiar with it—for fear it would be taken away all too soon—she didn't want to ruin the moment, either. It was a trap that she'd fallen into before, was willing to fall into again, and would come to regret later.

Meanwhile, Bernard was experiencing a different kind of internal argument. For the first time he was genuinely aware of everything he'd been trying to avoid: how lovely she was with her cheeks flushed from the cold, how her hair shone in the light from the street lamps, how his hands felt empty and wrong when all he wanted was to hold hers. He wanted to break the silence, to make her smile; to go back to being the one who made things alright for her. He missed being her hero, in a way. He wanted that privilege again, and the longer they walked the more determined he became to earn it back.

That was when he really knew that Scott had been right. He really _had_ chosen her, even if he hadn't said as much or made it official. His heart and mind and hopes were set on her, and he began to worry that if he didn't show it soon, she might not realize just how much she meant to him.

They both were conscious of the mental pull between them; the slight, yet tangible thread of golden light that seemed to stretch between them invisibly. Elle's mind wanted to reach out for it, to restore that sense of closeness that had once caused her to frequently (and inadvertently) share her thoughts with him. She could feel him on the other side, close but not demanding as if waiting for her to make a move. But just as she couldn't bring herself to break the silence, she couldn't reach out and overcome her hesitation.

"So," Bernard said finally, as it began to really grow dark and they began to walk closer, together on the sidewalk. Their elbows almost bumped as they went, but Elle kept her arms tucked close to her body and her hands in her pockets. His tone was light, and unlike the one he used with the other elves even though Elle couldn't quite pinpoint how. "You've been doing wonderfully in the workshop."

It was a statement, one she hadn't been expecting. "I'm trying my best." Elle shrugged simply, unsure of how to reply.

"Well, it shows. Santa seems pretty impressed— _I'm_ pretty impressed," he added, almost a little sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Thank you." The words took a while to come to Ellington, as she was trying (and failing) to gauge just what he was getting at. She decided to make an effort to change the subject and stick with pleasantries for as long as she could. "And you? I know this month is about as busy as we get up here. How have you been?"

Knowing that Elle meant about his workload and _not_ about his emotional state didn't really change how much Bernard wanted to reply, _just awful, since you left._ "It's fine," he replied carefully, which was a blow-off of an answer but the best he could manage. He became aware of how Elle's eyes lingered on him when she thought he wasn't looking, and it made his heart skip a beat or two. Clearing his throat, he went on. "Believe it or not, you doing your job well makes _my_ job a lot easier—and considering it's only been getting continuously harder for the past few centuries, I'd say that's quite a feat. The um, the paperwork especially has been less."

"Really?"

"Or so I've noticed."

For the first time since they'd left the workshop Elle cracked a smile, looking down at her feet and shaking her head.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"You're a terrible liar, we've talked about that." Seeing that made her smile grow made Bernard's heart soar. He wanted to slap himself for being so easily affected, but he didn't have the motivation to when it was the first time in weeks that he'd genuinely felt happy.

"Yeah, I suppose we have." Elle chewed her lip thoughtfully before pulling one of her hands out of her pockets. "You know, it kind of sucks that official documents up here are still written with a quill. Between the paper itself—which is practically parchment, I might add—and the ink, my hands are getting pretty torn up."

Suddenly worried, Bernard stopped walking and grabbed her by the wrist as if on instinct. Her eyebrows shot up, but after an awkward pause she let him take a look at her hands. Sure enough, there were tell-tale paper cuts and ink stains on her fingertips.

"You...you've been…"

"Doing the extra paperwork? Bingo, Sherlock." Elle shrugged. "Only the stuff that didn't _have_ to be signed or reviewed by the head elf, don't worry. I didn't break any rules."

"But why?"

Elle frowned. "You seem confused. I was under the impression that part of my job was to make your job easier. Wasn't that what you just said?"

"Well, yes. But…"

'"But' nothing. I saw an opportunity to take initiative, so I did. Simple, really." She gave him a cheeky little wink and tilt of her head. "All in a day's work, right?"

Bernard simply stared for a moment before swallowing and dropping his gaze to her hand, still folded in his. "You do things like this, and then tell me _not_ to fall in love with you." He looked up, meeting her gaze. "Honestly, is this some sort of game? Am I just really out of the loop on picking up signals, or... "

Elle's expression faltered, her eyes clouding and immediately turning away from his in favor of the snow-dusted sidewalk. "It's not a game, B," she reassured him quietly. "And I thought we'd agreed to leave those kind of feelings behind." She withdrew her hand, continuing on down the sidewalk.

"Agreed?" Bernard repeated in disbelief before awkwardly speed walking to catch up. The tears stinging his eyes were from the snow, and nothing would convince him otherwise. "The only thing we _agreed_ on was that we both had feelings for each other, and—"

"I thought we were going to dinner," Elle interrupted, her expression unreadable before she stopped and turned to face him. "Or was it just a ruse, to get me out of the workshop and somewhere you felt more comfortable having a discussion we don't need to have?"

"We _absolutely_ need to have this discussion. Elle!" When she rolled her eyes and began walking away again, he grabbed her sharply by the coat. "Hey! Don't you walk away from me."

"Why not? It worked so well the first time," Elle taunted, hating herself for how cruel that was but too angry to truly care. The result was immediately apparent in Bernard's face, a shocked, wounded expression replacing his resolve. "Haven't you taken the time to consider that maybe, for just _once_ , _I_ know what's best and _not_ you?"

Quickly swallowing down his offense, Bernard struggled to actually keep up with her this time around. "How do you mean?" He demanded, his hands moving to his hips.

Elle threw her hands out in exasperation. "Oh come _on_ , Bernard! Ever since I got here it's been _you_ protecting me, _you_ telling me which choices are best, _you_ saving me from myself. Haven't you taken _any_ of this time to consider that it's _my_ turn to look out for you?"

"How are you looking out for me?" The elf's tone was angry and suspicious, his eyes narrowed. "There's nothing to protect me from—unless you have some convoluted idea that you're protecting me from _you,_ in which case you need to reassess just how much of a threat you are."

"How am I _not_ a threat?" Elle thoughtlessly mirrored his posture, her hands going to her hips. She looked like she could burst into tears any moment. "I'm a goddamn mess of a person, let alone an elf. And you, you somehow got it in your head that I'm even...I don't know? On your level? Emotionally, or otherwise?" She shook her head firmly. "No, what I've been protecting you from is a mistake, one of the biggest you could ever make."

To Elle's complete infuriation, Bernard started chuckling, then threw his head back and began laughing loudly in the middle of the street.

" _What_ is so funny?" She demanded, stomping her foot in frustration. Angry tears began to stream down her cheeks, and her temples began to ache. This had not been the way she'd wanted to spend her evening. By all rights she should finally be getting an evening to herself, in some leggings and an oversized sweatshirt and a good movie playing while she finally got a break from all of this stress—not stuck in this mess of a conversation.

Bernard stopped laughing long enough to put his hands to his curly head, looking at her in amused disbelief as if she were some sort of mystery. "I'm in love with you," he said, the words hitting Elle like a punch to the gut. "And I mean in _love_ with you, with—with everything about you, and who you are, and who I've seen you become, and"—he laughed again, twice— "you can't even see it, because you're too busy pretending that you're the worst, most unlovable person…" He broke down again, doubling over and practically crying with laughter.

"Why is this so funny to you?" Elle had her arms wrapped around her torso, feeling vulnerable and exposed in the middle of a quiet street in Elfsburg with the sound of Bernard's laughter ringing off the buildings like a giant neon sign attracting attention.

With his hands on his hat, Bernard tried to compose himself. "You do realize that you've made the _entire_ workshop adore you in a matter of weeks? I mean, for tinsel's sake, Elle. If I hadn't had you directly appointed number two, they probably would've voted you in. Things are running more smoothly than ever and _everyone_ knows that's your doing. Everyone is glad you're here and you can bet your ears that if they don't want to _be_ you, they want to be your friend. So yeah, the idea that you're unlovable is pretty hilarious."

Elle didn't like to admit that she hadn't thought of it that way, simply because she was angry with him and didn't particularly feel like admitting he was right.

"What's happened to you isn't _who you are_. You're so much more than that, and it shows everyday. No one here is treating you like a basket case. We're treating you like one of us—because you _are,_ Elle. You're an elf now, and we're all proud and glad to have you." Bernard let his hands drop to his sides. "Can't you just _see_ that already, and stop punishing yourself for something that isn't your fault?"

This was, admittedly, a lot for Elle to take in. But he seemed so earnest, and hopeful that she would actually hear him, that she wanted to break down and give in to his logic — not to mention the fact that he'd said that he _loved_ her, which she was still in too much shock to process.

"You don't _love_ me." She stared at him in disbelief. "You're just saying that, to push your point."

"I am _not,"_ Bernard insisted, crossing his arms. "I'm not stupid, I know better than to use something I know you won't believe to try and convince you. But it doesn't change the fact that I do, in fact, love you." He sighed, fixing her with a thoughtful look. "It took me a long time to admit that to myself too, so I can understand why you're having trouble wrapping your head around it."

"Wrapping my head arou...I'm not having difficulty _understanding the concept,_ thanks!" Clearly flustered and angry, Elle threw up her hands. "I'm not getting into this with you, it's pointless. If this is why you dragged me out here, then I'm going home." She brushed past him, their shoulders knocking as she began the trek back the way they'd come.

"So that's it then." Bernard's voice was loud, loud enough for her to hear him from a good ten paces away. "You're just going to walk away from me."

"Like I said, if it worked the first time," Elle yelled back, not turning around for him.

"Real mature."

"Hey, _I'm_ not the one who's _actually_ seventeen hundred years old!"

There was no reply, and for a moment Elle thought she'd actually won the argument—which made her equal parts satisfied and, oddly, disappointed. She turned back to see if he'd given up, and found herself running into someone as she looked the other way.

"Did you _teleport_?" Elle asked in disbelief, looking him up and down.

"What does it look like? You may be willing to make the same mistake twice, but I'm not." He offered her a hand from where she'd landed in the snow. Elle thoughtlessly grabbed it, almost pulling him down on her way up as she got to her feet, brushing snow from the crevices of her coat. "You alright?"

She hated how his tone was sincere, as though he were genuinely concerned he hadn't bumped her too hard and hurt her somehow. She was annoyed by his kindness, by the patience he kept making such an effort to give her when he normally was so insistent and pushy. It made her want to change her mind and for that, Elle both was grateful and hating him.

"Not particularly, but I'm not complaining," she replied, her tone less harsh than before. He reached out to help her, and somewhere on the deep green velvet their hands ended up crossing paths. Elle looked up to find a pair of warm, brown eyes already watching her with a soft kind of amusement. "Don't look at me like that," she grumbled, her gaze falling to their hands where she found her fingers lingering over his.

"Like what?"

"Like...I don't know." Bernard couldn't help but smile slightly as he watched her fearful and angry facade fall away, replaced by the Elle _he_ remembered: the one who wasn't afraid to let him in.

"Like, maybe," he began, taking a step in closer and grasping her fingers more securely in his. He saw her breathing hitch and leaned his head closer to hers. "Just perhaps, like I love you?"

Elle glanced up sharply, faint panic in her eyes. Then she grew distant again, her voice quiet and flat. "Sure, if that's what you want to call it."

Bernard let out his breath in a tired sigh. "You're making this impossible, you know. What happened to "it might be simpler than you think''? It seems like you'd rather have this remain complicated rather than solve this right here and now."

"And _how_ do you propose we do that?" Elle asked, very nonplussed. "I don't see any clear cut resolution to any of this—"

"Do you love me?" It was way more direct than she'd ever thought to expect from him, and made her look up in shock.

"Excuse me?"

"The last time we spoke you told me that you had feelings for me. Maybe not in so many words, but together with what you showed me in your mind it wasn't hard to piece together. Isn't that true?"

Elle hesitated a long moment before conceding his point with a tilt of her head.

"Okay then. So my question to you is, did you really stop having those feelings, or did you not? If you did, fine. I'll walk away and never ask you about it again. But if you didn't, then this conversation isn't over. "

Elle huffed in frustration. "It's not that simple Bernard, good grief."

"It can be if we let it." He took a step closer, catching her chin with a finger and lifting her gaze to level with his. "Did you, Elle? Did you really stop caring for me?"

Elle considered lying. She wanted to, wanted to say what she needed to to get him off her back and onto the track of whatever girl he _should_ be with. But he was right, she really _hadn't_ stopped caring about him. If anything, her stubborn need to do what was best for him was a tribute to that.

So maybe it wasn't a surprise how she responded after all. "No," she said finally, and a calm came into Bernard's eyes. She realized that he really had been terrified of her answer. "No, I didn't. I'm doing this, all of this distancing, because I _care_ about you, maybe even too much. Because I never meant to do whatever I did to make you love me, and I feel like it's my fault you're not happy by now." She turned her face aside to break free of his hold, only to find herself caught by something different: a kiss.

Why didn't she pull away? A good answer couldn't seem to get through to her over the white noise in her ears. Needless to say Bernard's tactic worked, and when they broke apart she was frozen in a dazed confusion.

"The only way you're keeping me from being happy is by keeping me away from you," he explained, a fond smile creeping onto his lips. "I know you want to overthink and find some way to explain why we shouldn't have this, but really? I can't think of one that's more important than us being together."

"That's…" Elle blinked, still shaking off her surprise. "Rather sentimental of you."

"What, you think I can't be romantic?"

"I think until this Clause came around, you didn't have any reason to be. So it's a little shocking to me that you can pull it off like that."

' _I guess you really have changed me for the better then.'_ For the first time in a long while, Bernard's voice came through as clear as sleigh bells in her mind.

"Ah, there you are. I wonder why I stopped being able to hear you before?" She asked, voicing what they both were wondering. "Maybe because we weren't getting along." And then it hit her, like a ton of bricks straight to the chest. She inhaled sharply and pulled back, completely out of his reach.

Before he could speak, she blurted out her thought. "Wait a minute. Your romantics don't really have anything to do with me, do they? It's a Clause thing."

It was possible to pinpoint the moment the realization sank in for Bernard, his face going very serious and draining of color. Elle's hands went to her mouth, as if she suddenly felt the need to wipe his kiss away. "Oh my god."

"No, listen. I can explain."

"I knew it. How long have you been keeping that to yourself?"

"I...it's, it's not that simple. You see—"

Oh my _god_. You've known from the beginning, didn't you? It's been a trick all along! I'm _such_ an _idiot!_ "

"What?" Bernard looks confused before realizing where she was going and shaking his head profusely, waving both his hands. As if in response to his panic, she could feel their mental connection vibrating anxiously. "No, of course it isn't a _Clause_ thing, that...that's a whole different—"

"You're just using me, aren't you? To fulfill this damn Clause! Did you teleport into my room, too? To put your ring box there and make me think it was some kind of _sign?"_ Her face contorted with equal parts hurt and disgust, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. "Telling me you love me to trick me into helping you? I already _told_ you I'd help anyway I could! You didn't have to grab for more!" A few paces away a small window in a wall cracked and shattered noisily, falling into the snow as another testament to how upset she was.

"Elle, I _swear_ I didn't do that! I'm not trying to trick you, I've _never_ lied to you about any of this—"

"This is all just some sort of game to you, isn't it? The means to an end?" She swiped at her nose, fighting back the need to break down in a sob. "I can't believe I actually _let_ myself believe you, even for a moment..." Her gaze was heartbreaking, and showed just how deeply betrayed she felt. "You were the _one_ person I trusted, and you do this?"

"Elle, listen _,_ stop it!" Bernard grabbed her by the wrists, almost as if in an effort to shake some sense into her, and even when she recoiled he didn't let go. "Hear me out: I didn't plan any of this, it isn't some kind of trap. I know you're upset and this is overwhelming but I'm _not out to get you_ —"

His sentence was cut off by her finally yanking her hands free. She drew a hand back sharply to slap him across the face, but he caught it and fixed her with a warning look. "Don't do something you'll regret."

"It seems like I already have." Elle stared at him in tearful defiance until she shoved him away, rubbing her now sore wrist. Her expression tried to change from hurt to indifference, but it ended up only making her look like a wounded puppy. "I don't care if you just want to feed me lies. I'll find out the truth with or without your help."

"Elle? Ellington!" But she had already turned and sprinted off down the street, vanishing into a shimmer of silver sparks when she reached the street corner. Overcome with frustration, Bernard yanked the hat from his head and threw it to the ground, kicking it angrily across the street and into a gutter. "For tinsel's sake, doesn't she ever just _listen?_ She's so...so damn childish!" He'd been so close. He'd had her, at last willing to consider, finally willing to possibly let him in again—and then it was gone, all because of the Clause.

The Clause that was supposed to help him _find_ love was actually causing him to _lose_ it. How ironic was that?

Irony aside, Bernard was at a complete loss. He had no idea where to go from there, where to find Elle or what to say to her if he did. Since the direct approach Scott had suggested had failed, maybe it was time to look into other options. Even though he was worried about what Elle might do in her current state of mind, he told himself that going after her would only make things worse and decided instead to go to the one person who might be able to help him find some clarity. Too angry and close to tears himself to care about retrieving his hat he teleported away, leaving his beret and the shattered window as the only evidence of what had happened that evening.

The only boon to the entire disastrous encounter was that no one else had been around to see it. Or at least, that's what he thought. He'd missed sight of a particularly sentient patch of frost on a nearby window, who watched with chilling glee as the entire situation between the head elves fell together, and then even further apart.

* * *

A sharp rapping somewhere far off woke Curtis up late in the evening. He had a night shift to get ready for, which explained his odd sleeping schedule, but it didn't explain his unexpected visitor. Finding that whoever was at the door was especially insistent and wasn't going to give up any time soon, he groaned and dragged himself out of bed.

"Coming, coming! Can't an elf ever get a break in his own…" He pulled open the door, startled to find an upset and angry looking Ellington on the front stoop. "House. Elle? What's going on?"

"Curtis," she said, and from her time she was a little breathless. Her cheeks were red, as though she'd been out in the cold for a while, or perhaps crying. She peered in the door behind him as if checking for something or some _one._ "Are you home alone?"

"Well, yeah. But why does that—" Before he could finished Elle brushed past him into the house, pulling off her coat.

"We need to talk."

"Sure. Come on in, then." Worry jumped onto Curtis' face as he shut the door. "What is it? Does it have something to do with your duties as number two? I'm sure I could fill you in, maybe at a better time," he added, looking at the clock and growing concerned. He was due in R and D within the hour.

"This can't wait." She took a moment to shake the snow out of her hair before turning to fix him with a steely gaze. "And it doesn't have to do with the job."

"Then what?" Seeing her expression made the smaller elf's stomach drop. "Oh _no_."

"Oh _yes,"_ Elle corrected, pointing a knowing finger at him.

"It's about the Clause, isn't it?"

Elle gave a sharp nod, and Curtis didn't want to ask about how or why she knew about it. Instead, he pushed his glasses up his nose a little, growing slightly nervous. "Why don't you just ask Bernard?"

"I guess you could say I'm _really_ not in the mood to hear what he has to say right now." She looked grim, and he decided not to press the subject further. "You know what I need to see."

With a sigh, Curtis moved past her and beckoned her to follow. "Right this way." He led her back into a small library of a room, filled to bursting with books. On a stand in the middle of the room stood the Handbook itself, its thick covers closed. Curtis flicked on a few lights as Elle went up to the stand, running her hands over the smooth, well worn leather.

"Just...be gentle with it, okay? It's _way_ older than I am, and if anything happens to it I'll be in a _whole new world_ of trouble."

"Of course." Elle was only partially listening, paying most of her attention to the odd thrumming she could feel coming off the book-almost as if it were alive. She figured it was simply her picking up on the magic of it, and was still fascinated in spite of her bad mood. Speaking of which, she realized, she needed to set aside her anger to look at the situation objectively. That's why she'd come to read the Clause directly out of the Handbook for herself: to get a true, clear picture of what was really going on.

"Why exactly is it you don't want to talk to Bernard?" Curtis eventually asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as usual. "I thought you guys were pretty close. Or at least, it seemed that way. The rumors—"

"The _rumors_." Elle scoffed, scowling down at the closed Handbook, tracing her fingers over the inlay. "I'm tired of hearing about what other people think."

"Well, if you told them what the truth was, maybe they wouldn't have to talk?" Curtis suggested, quickly following up his sentence when he saw her expression darken further. "What _is going_ on, Ellington? I already know about the Clause, so why not tell me the rest?"

Elle looked at him sideways. "Besides the fact that you're one of the worst secret keepers in the entirety of Elfsburg?"

"Hey! That's...that's pretty true, actually," the elf admitted sheepishly, adjusting his glasses again as he flushed a furious pink.

"Not trying to call you out or anything, just saying." Elle flipped open the Handbook, admiring the ornate first page before flipping to the complete back of the book to find the index. Then she paused and sighed. "Maybe it doesn't really matter who knows anymore." She figured with the edge of the page before turning to face Curtis. "I don't want to talk to Bernard because I don't trust what he's telling me anymore."

Curtis looked startled. "What? Bernard, lying? I know you're new around here, but I thought you'd know that that isn't really his thing."

"Yeah, well. Apparently, it's grown on him."

"What makes you believe that?"

Elle chewed her lip for a long few seconds before hugging and whirling back to face the book, mumbling something under her breath.

"What's that?"

"I said, 'he told me he's in love with me'." The words were blurted out, a great deal of frustration behind them. Behind her, Curtis let out a gasp. She looked over her shoulder to find him with saucer-wide eyes behind his glasses.

"He _said_ that?"

"Yes."

"To _your face?"_

"More than once, in fact. He seemed set on getting the point across," Elle replied, skepticism in each syllable. She rolled her eyes, a little surprised to find Curtis still looking like he'd stuck a finger in an electrical socket. Maybe even several fingers. "What's the matter, Curtis. Let me guess, it 'doesn't sound like Bernard' either?"

"No," Curtis said, sounding a little cowed. "I'm shocked he told you at all. I thought he'd be the type to sit on those feelings for a good few hundred years before even beginning to open up to you, just because he's stubborn."

"He's always been really open with me," Elle realized, her expression softening for a few moments until she frowned and look back down at the Handbook, going back to scanning its pages. "You're missing the real problem, Curtis. It's not like Bernard to fall in love, _at all._ That's what's wrong—not how he told me."

"Well that's because I don't doubt that he loves you."

"Don't...don't say that." Elle's hands trembled slightly as she turned to the correct section and began perusing numbers.

"You might not like it, but I think it's more likely that he's telling the truth. Take a look at the Clause and you'll see what I mean."

Realizing that she wasn't going to convince Curtis he was wrong didn't help her mood, but Elle decided listening to him was probably her best option anyway. Beside the fact that he believed Bernard (and because of how closely he'd worked with him for so long, it made him a good authority on the matter) he was a determined sort of elf who wouldn't be swayed unless proven completely wrong. That was something she could understand, so she turned her attention back to her task as she arrived at the proper page and peered down at the Clause in question.

"It's...just an ordinary rule?" She mused, surprised to see a normal categorization number beside it. Curtis hummed in agreement.

"That's kind of why I think it slipped under the radar for so long. Nobody thought to look in the Handbook for a Clause, you know? The others are all on the business card."

"Hmm." Elle set aside the half billion questions she had about that and returned to the text.

' _Rule 9,274, The Emissary Clause. Every 550 years, an emissary must be chosen from among humans to visit the North Pole, be they lonely or without cheer. All emissaries must be under the age of eighteen. All emissaries must be female. This practice must be observed every 550th year, with the exception of postponements. Such postponements may be made only by Santa or the Head Elf.'_

"So more than likely," she mused, "Bernard is the one who put this off in the first place, since neither you nor Santa knew about it."

"I don't know," Curtis admitted hesitantly. "He's seemed pretty upset by it, but I wouldn't say he _knew_ —"

"Whatever. I don't care." Elle returned to reading, squinting to avoid the angry headache that was beginning to build in her skull.

' _This Clause has been created and endorsed by_ _Nicholas of Myra, on this_ _twenty fourth day of the month of December, being Christmas eve of the year three hundred and forty four._ _Given the immovable and stubborn nature of Theodulus, sometime Bernard, my spiritual child and beloved and trusty helper, I have penned this clause with the hope of overcoming his insensibility and finding him a suitable match—if not among elves, then among humans.'_

She reached the end of the page, eyes pricking painfully from unshed tears. "I was right," she said, hating how broken up she sounded. "He _did_ know, and he _did_ set me up. If it wasn't me then it was supposed to be one of my sisters, and since they left and I stayed…" She hid her face in her hands, shoulders quaking with anger.

"He didn't know about it until well after you stayed!" Curtis felt the need to justify the situation, especially since as the Keeper of the Handbook all Handbook related incidents reflected back on him. "The Clause was Deadlocked, which is just technical speak for 'unreadable until a certain time'. We've been getting little bits of information about it at a time—even now, we don't know if this is all there is to it."

"How could it possibly get worse?" Elle cried in frustration, trying and failing to turn the page. It was as if it were glued to the other side, unreadable. She found her finger slipping on the edge, letting out a gasp of unexpected pain as she picked up a papercut. Blood spilled at an alarmingly quick rate from her finger, slightly staining the uppermost right corner of the page. She pulled back, clutching her hand to herself and swearing colorfully.

"You alright?"

"Just a nasty…" Elle's attention was drawn back to the book as the page suddenly and unexpectedly flipped itself, leaving her staring in disbelief. "Papercut. Curtis? Does this thing have a habit of turning its own pages?"

"No. Although, the book's had a real mind of its own lately. Moving itself around to get my attention and stuff, really juvenile. Why?"

"Because it just did." The other elf hustled over, standing at Elle's elbow as she stared down at an entirely new page.

"I've...I've never seen this before," he admitted, equally excited and shocked.

"Want to read it first then?"

He gave her a puzzled look. "You sure?"

She shrugged. "It's your gig, pal. And anyway, I'd prefer to see your reaction before I have to read it myself." She turned her back on the stand, giving him a chance to read privately. She was telling the truth. She didn't _want_ to be the first one to read the Clause in its entirety. Curtis ought to be the one, regardless of how much it had to do with her.

However, she didn't feel much better about her decision to let him go first when he finished reading and let out a groan. He turned, sinking down in defeat against the podium.

"What is it?"

"Read it for yourself," he replied, sounding defeated.

"That bad?"

"Oh you're _really_ not going to like it."

Completely unsettled, Elle steeled herself and tried to think of what could be so bad as to make Curtis hopeless. Nothing could have prepared her for what she read next.

' _It shall bind him, if he is not yet already wed, to select one of the maidens chosen by the Magic as a suitable bride. I have, by the grace of God and with the help of Cupid himself, selected the maiden most suited to him and placed a mark of Betrothal upon her. However, certain conditions may nullify their Betrothal, including (but not limited to) illness, great difference in age, differences in belief or personality, or other unsuitable qualities— most notably, lack of true and unwavering Christmas Spirit.'_

Curtis wasn't exactly sure when she stopped reading. All he knew was that the light bulbs in the room shattered one by one, leaving them in pitch black darkness. The only light was the slight ambient glow through the window from the street lamps outside. He looked up at Elle's silhouette to find her standing rigid, a fist clasped on top of the Handbook.

"Um, Ellington?"

"Yes, Curtis?"

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Peachy."

"You sure."

"One hundred percent."

"So...what are you gonna do now?"

Hmm? Oh, nothing much. You know, I'm just...I'm going to _kill him."_ Looking down at the text once more only caused a nauseous twist in her gut. "But first, I think I'm going to throw up." She felt her stomach lurch and immediately covered her mouth with a hand before rushing out of the room.

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	15. Chapter 15

_15_.

Unfortunately, Bernard didn't get a chance to talk to who he needed to until the afternoon of the next day. Perhaps it was better to give things some time to cool down, and let his thoughts on the matter fully form before he spilled them to someone else. At least, that's what he told himself to keep from freaking out in the meantime, as the lack of control he had over the situation was quite frustrating and left him unsettled and antsy.

He also hadn't run into Elle all day, which made him even more concerned since he couldn't visually verify that she was doing alright. He had no idea if she'd found the answers she was looking for, if she'd come to terms with what he'd said or if she'd packed her bags and left the Pole for good, maybe to go and take up residence in some other magical part of the world. Crystal Springs wasn't _too_ far off, maybe she'd go there...what was he thinking? He caught himself before he went too far down that train of thought, since Elle wasn't one to run from her responsibilities—just her feelings.

Still, he was acutely aware of the space left in his routine when he wasn't trying to sneak in extra moments with her. He hadn't realized that had been something he was doing, but when she wasn't around, it became clear how much time he spent just trying to be near her. It was a bit pathetic, really; and he wouldn't have admitted it to anyone if they'd brought it up.

Curtis seemed to be keeping his distance too, which was a bit surprising as he usually tried to kiss up to the head elf and give advice that wasn't asked for or generally wanted. But today when Bernard approached him and asked about the project he was working on, he only responded with relevant answers and left as quickly as possible. If he'd had more time on his hands, Bernard would have wanted to ask him what was going on—but that was a can of worms he wasn't sure he needed just then, especially if it had anything to do with Elle.

How had it come to this so quickly? In a matter of a few weeks he'd destroyed the beautiful little friendship he'd created with her, the trust and the camaraderie and openness he'd grown to actually appreciate. Now it was just silence, and unanswered questions, and resentment—and on his part, at least, unrequited feelings. He'd never expected to be the pining sort; he'd expected to be the reluctant, resistant one who couldn't admit to having any sort of feelings. That _had_ been him in the beginning, but then she'd crept her way into his heart and now, he couldn't help but feel that she was making a complete fool of him.

Besides that, the look on her face when she'd left was cemented into his mind. The betrayal and disbelief and hurt; had he really broken her heart? Did she really believe all those things she'd said to him? He'd always assumed she was just throwing up walls to keep him out, but what if she really believed all of those terrible things about her not being good enough?

It was with these heavy thoughts that he found himself waiting just outside of the Elfementary school, just as class was letting out for the day. The students spilled out onto the courtyard first, a few calling greetings to friends and even one or two respectfully at him. He gave them a nod and a forced smile, sighing as he leaned back against the wall. Finally, Carol and Buddy came out, Buddy wearing his _Captain America_ backpack and a stocking cap and mumbling something about long division as Carol locked the doors. The boy's sights fell on the head elf and his perturbed expression faded, replaced by unbridled excitement as he barreled towards him.

"Bernard!"

"Heya, kiddo," Bernard replied, righting himself and tousling Buddy's hair slightly as he was bear hugged around his waist. "Easy, easy. You'll shave a couple hundred years off my lifespan if you keep up like that."

"Sorry." Buddy pulled away, pushing his hat up on his head again with a huge grin on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought it was working time for you."

"It is, but I came to see your mom," Bernard explained as Carol came up behind Buddy and set a hand on his shoulder. The look on her face told that she already knew why he was there. "There's ah, something I need to talk to her about."

"Okay. Have you seen Elle today?" Buddy didn't seemed to notice Bernard expression grow uncomfortable.

"No, not really."

"Huh. We were supposed to watch cartoons together after school let out. Guess I'll have to shoot her a mind message and make sure she doesn't bail on me," the boy replied with a cheerful shrug.

"A 'mind message'?"

"Sure. Elle can hear most thoughts if you direct them right _at_ her. How cool is that?"

"Huh." Now that that occurred to him, Bernard just really hoped that she didn't pick up on all the time he spent thinking about her. The idea made him go a little pale. "I'm sure Elle won't let you down. I know how much she values the time she spends with you." That made Buddy turn a little pink, but he still beamed with pride.

"Buddy honey, why don't you head home? If you see your dad let him know I'll be along in a little while for dinner," Carol told her son, giving his shoulder a little squeeze.

The toe-headed boy nodded eagerly and tripped off in the direction of Santa's living quarters, waving back at the both of them. "Sure thing, mom. See you guys later!" Then he was off, humming something about crystal gems to himself.

Bernard turned to face Carol, sighing with an amused lift of his eyebrows.

"So, you've finally come to talk about Elle?" Carol seemed to be completely at ease with the idea.

"You don't sound surprised."

"Of course I'm not _surprised_. If anything, I'm surprised you didn't come to me sooner. Scott told what's going on with the Clause," she explained, and Bernard merely hummed in acknowledgment. It stood to reason Santa would tell his wife what was going on. "So, where do you want to start?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. This whole thing has gotten so out of hand so quickly… I've sort of lost track of which way is up."

"Well. Then why don't we start with what Elle's already spoken to me about." At that, Bernard's ears pricked, and Carol couldn't help but smile at his expression. "Have I got your attention now?"

"Absolutely," the elf replied, a little surprised at how eager he sounded. Mrs. Claus didn't make anything of it though, merely turning her feet in the direction of the nearest open air cafe.

"Then let's get started."

* * *

"Hey there Elle bea—woah. What's in _your_ cocoa this morning?" Jack raised a frozen eyebrow at the elf's approach, before realizing that the look wasn't angry so much as upset. Immediately, his face twisted with concern and suspicion. "What's wrong, talk to me. Did Bernard finally push the last of your buttons?"

Elle sighed and slumped into her seat across from the winter sprite. "How'd you guess."

"You're wearing your 'Bernard trouble' face," the legend explained, completely stone faced. She stared at him in disbelief before blinking and sighing again, resting her cheek on her palm.

"Yeah, well. You're not wrong."

"Did you even sleep last night?"

"Not much, no. Wasn't feeling too well."

"So what finally tipped the boat?" Jack asked, unable to hide his intrigue. He leaned forward in his seat, elbows on the table. "Last I heard you were trying to leave things well enough alone. What changed overnight?"

"I made another stupid mistake," Elle confessed. She closed her eyes, chewing her lip a moment before going on. "I agreed to talk to him."

"Why? You said you weren't going to do that no matter what!"

"He pulled the puppy eyes on me! How am I supposed to resist those big brown eyes?" That sentence was a little too hopeless for Jack's tastes, especially since it was clear that in spite of her repeated refusal, she clearly reciprocated Bernard's feelings.

"Whatever. What happened?"

"He asked if I wanted to go out for drinks or something, and I— I know, _foolishly_ —agreed to go." She slumped further down into her seat, her eyes growing dull. "I was hoping he just wanted to talk about work, this is the busy season after all. But we didn't even make it to the restaurant before he was trying to bring up the subject of _us_ again and...and…"

"And you had to make it clear that there is no "us" between you and him?" Jack finished hopefully, but Elle was too distraught to notice. He, of course, already knew what had happened; but he was interested in hearing her take on things.

"Yeah. At least I tried to. But somehow, just like it did last time, one thing led to another and he kissed me and I just…" She thunked her forehead onto the table and groaned. "I let him because I _liked_ it. How stupid is that, Jack? But each time he's kissed me it just feels _right_ and I go boneless and now that I understand _why… I'm so stupid."_

"What do you mean, 'now that I understand why'? What did you find out that changed everything so much?" Jack asked, trying not to visibly gag at the remainder of her sentence. _The sentiment_.

"This." Elle picked her head up long enough to reach into her coat and pull out her phone, scrolling through it for a moment before sliding it across the table to him. On screen was a picture of the last page of the Clause, clearly readable even in digital format.

"Oh?" Jack scanned over the page before his eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. "Oh _my._ This is a turn of events, isn't it?" He looked up with a half smile to find Elle watching him with an accusing look.

"So you _did_ know about the Clause."

"Ah...hahaha well," Jack began awkwardly, searching for a half decent cover story when she waved her hand dismissively.

"I don't honestly care how you found out, Jack. Any other time I might be pissed, but right now, all that really matters is what's on that damn page." Her expression was completely hopeless.

"Why the long face? Isn't this a good thing?" Taking a risk, Jack went out on a limb and offered the worst (meaning _best_ ) advice he could offer. "Now you don't have to pretend you're not good for him, right? This Clause obviously knows what's going on, and it _still_ chose you!"

"Did it? Because I don't see anything saying I'm the one the Clause picked. I only see Bernard _convinced_ that he's in love with me."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

Elle let out an annoyed snort, running a hand through her hair. "Okay, I take your point. But Clause or not, it's doesn't change the _facts."_

"And those are?"

"That I'm not _ready_ to be in a relationship right now! That even if I'm…"

"His betrothed?"

"Shhh!" Elle slammed her fist on the table, waving off the few elves who looked worried with an apologetic look and smile. When she turned back to Jack, she looked worn out. " _Yes._ There's no time limit on this damn thing, so I shouldn't be forced into this so quickly! There's no call for it, so he can cut the act and go back to being happily single until I'm ready. _Or,"_ she added pointedly, crossing her legs, "he can bypass the whole

Clause by _finding someone else."_ The last few words came out through gritted teeth, her gaze steely.

"I guess it's a good thing I called off the lesson today then, you'd be hopeless with your mind in this state," Jack said just as his lunch arrived. "Ah, thank you."

Elle let out a low growl as the waitress left, taking the opportunity to mentally bend the fork in his hand in half to make a point. Jack gave a disapproving click of his tongue and in a poof of blue light made another out of ice, seemingly undisturbed. "Mind your temper, dear _._ There's no need to take your romantic frustrations out on the silverware."

Elle only glared daggers across the table at him. "I get the dis _tinct feeling you're not taking me serious here, Jack."_

Jack set his fork down and sighed, lacing his fingers together thoughtfully. "Alright, maybe I am being a bit flippant."

"A bit?"

"Just so. Magical engagement is a tricky thing, I shouldn't make a joke of it." He tilted his head and looked at her closely. "Doesn't this Clause say it can be dissolved based on differences?"

"Well...yes," Elle admitted, pulling her phone back to reread the paragraph.

"So why is there a problem? If you don't love him, that's a _big_ difference. Tell him you're dissolving the betrothal, and go about your business. Simple, really. A mere bump in the road, if you will."

"Because I...I can't just break his heart like that!" Elle protested, pushing her chair away from the table. Jack didn't seem perturbed.

"Why not? Didn't he already break yours?"

"I…" Elle sighed, slouching down in her seat until her legs were completely stretched out. "Oh, this is ridiculous. There's no easy way out of any of this, and I just...I want to _strangle him_ for trying to use me like this! I deserve better treatment than to be deceived and tricked into falling in love!"

"But _do_ you love him? Yes or no." Jack's expression grew very keen, hanging on her answer. But Elle only looked defeated, tears resting in the corners of her eyes.

"I thought I did. Back when I believed he was telling the truth. But now, I'm not sure of anything anymore." She looked up as the courtyard clock struck three thirty, dragging herself out of her chair. "We're gonna have to reschedule this 'fun day' for some other time. I'm really not feeling it, and I've got to go catch up with Buddy."

"Of course, take your time. You've got enough on your plate as it is. If you find yourself slipping up mentally and need a refresher course, you know how to find me."

Elle sighed in relief that he wasn't going to try and convince her otherwise. "Thank you, Jack. I'll see you around."

"Take care of yourself, Ellington." Jack watched the elf trudge off, shoulders slumped in her green coat. He could feel the mental anguish radiating off of her like an open wound, and wished that this could have been more painless for her. She'd already lost so much, had her heart broken, and now crotchety old _Bernard_ was the reason she was suffering all over again? The idea was so distasteful that Jack couldn't help but again wish he could come up with a way to end all of her problems, once and for all.

That was when he had his _second_ good idea. He looked up at the clock tower, a mischievous smile spreading over his face. "A little more time, eh? Now _that's_ something I can help with."

* * *

"So basically, what you're saying is that you're desperate to get back that little moment you two had where everything was perfect?"

Bernard scowled. It wasn't like Carol was necessarily _wrong,_ it was just that when she put it like that it sounded so...shallow.

"It's more than that. Whenever we're alone together, everything just seems so simple and real and...and in that moment, it was the _most_ real between us that it's ever been. I just wish it were possible to have that kind of open honesty again."

"Because you feel like she's lying to you."

"And she thinks I'm lying to her! When in reality, I don't think _either_ of us are actually lying at all. It's infuriating and I don't know how to fix it. Every time I try, I only end up making things worse."

"With where the two of you are at now, are you sure it isn't in both of your best interests to just give up?"

Bernard couldn't help but stare. "Do _you_ think that's what we should do?"

"It's not really for me to say, is it?" Carol raised an eyebrow. "Look, I'm just coming at this from a third party, objective standpoint. If you're having such a difficult time finding common ground then maybe you should give it a rest. I mean, not to discourage you, but she has been going through a _lot._ Maybe it's just bad timing."

"But it's not!" With a sigh of frustration, Bernard ran a hand over his curls. "Since she had that falling out with her sisters it's become a habit: when something goes wrong, when she needs somebody, she pretends she's okay until _I'm_ there for her, and then she lets her walls down. And frankly, _I like it_. I liked being her friend, her shoulder to lean on."

"Her hero," Carol said, her face showing how sweet she found that idea. Bernard couldn't help but smile softly down at the snow. They were sitting on a bench in the courtyard just outside the workshop, across from the school.

"Well I wouldn't exactly say I'm the hero type but...yeah. Just a bit."

"I never realized you were there for her like that."

"I don't really think anyone does—well, except maybe Santa."

"Right."

The head elf trailed his eyes over the opposite building, fidgeting his fingers thoughtlessly in his lap. "I know she has feelings for me; it's not a question of that. She's like a wounded kitten with her claws out, afraid to be hurt again and if I could _just_ get through to her that I won't...I _wouldn't_ ever…" He sighed, an all too familiar sense of hopelessness washing over him. Before he could go on though, a loud crack of thunder caught his and Carol's attention, turning their gazes out over the town to the icy walls beyond. There, the dark and impassable clouds were looming closer than ever, ranging over the mountains and darkening the outskirts of the forest.

"That storm is only getting worse," Carol mused worriedly, frowning in thought. "I have to remind Scott to bring it up at the holiday conference tonight. We can't just keep pretending it's not there."

"No kidding. At this rate it'll be all over Elfsburg by Christmas, and we _can't_ let it come to that." They fell silent again, Bernard eventually looking over at his boss's wife. "So, is that your final verdict then? That I should give things a rest?"

Carol hesitated. "Based on what you've just told me, no," she replied carefully. "If she's pushing you away, it's probably because she's afraid of getting any closer. And if she's afraid of getting closer, then based on her recent past I'd say it's because she's scared to lose you too."

"That's what I was thinking."

"But you're going about it all wrong."

"Oh?"

"Instead of _telling_ her you're not going to abandon her, and _telling_ her you aren't going to find someone else, maybe you just need to prove it."

"And you think that will work?"

Mrs. Claus shrugged. "It's worth a shot, isn't it? But it's up to you to figure out how to get through to her. That's something between the two of you—though I'd suggest maybe opening up to her about your feelings? That goes a long way with a woman."

"I just need to find a way to get through to her again," Bernard admitted, and felt a hand set over his on his knee. It was Carol, of course.

"If you believe in this then don't lose hope, okay? I mean, this whole thing _has_ gotten you pretty distracted from work—"

"I'm still _managing."_

"—Scott mentioned it—"

"Oh, well. Great. That's just what I was afraid of in the first place."

"But he also said that it doesn't matter as much as it once would have, because Ellington is here. _However,_ things would run even smoother if you two were getting along again."

"Trust me, I know. I'll do my best."

"That's all we can ask for. And anyway, you're very brave for pressing on with this instead of giving up. It says a lot about you."

"What can I say, I'm not one to give up when things get difficult."

Carol laughed. "Don't I know it. And we're all the better off for your persistence! I just hope it pays off in dividends for you with Ellington as well."

"Thanks, it's kind of nice to know someone's got my back about this besides Santa. I hate to admit it but I'm knee deep in unfamiliar territory and any good advice I can get is worth its weight in gold." Bernard made a face and sighed as another thought occurred to him. "Not to mention, I'm pretty sure Frost hates what's happening between Elle and I with a _passion."_

Having just risen from the bench and stretched, Carol turned to face the elf again, puzzled. "Jack doesn't like the two of you together?"

Bernard shrugged. "From what I've heard around the workshop, that is—and the evil eye he gives me anytime I'm around her, but that's been there from day one."

"Huh. I'd keep an eye on that if I were you. Elle sees him as a mentor, takes his opinion seriously. Maybe he's part of the problem when it comes to her fears?"

"I should probably talk to him about it. I've been putting it off." Bernard rose to his feet, frowning as he realized one of his legs had fallen asleep.

"Maybe, but it might be better to deal with Ellington first?"

"Of course. Thank you for taking time to talk about this with me, Mrs. Claus, I appreciate it. A _lot."_

Carol waved him off kindly. "It's no problem, of course I can make time for you, Bernard! After all you _did_ help me out with information on just about everything when I was new up here. I owe you a big one, and anyway, I'm happy to listen."

As grateful as he was for Carol's advice, Bernard still had more questions than answers. It seemed for every question he addressed another two took its place, leaving him in a constant deficit of clarity.

So when Carol went off to have an early dinner with her husband and sons (because the council meeting was happening at six and family dinner was the _one_ thing they all tried to stick to despite busy schedules), Bernard went back to work, all the while considering what his best option was for getting through to Elle, getting his message across.

And then, just when he was about to give up, it happened. The idea he'd been waiting for.

In the middle of the workshop floor he nearly dropped the toy train he was inspecting, realization washing over his face.

"A-are you alright, sir?"

Bernard handed the train back to the elf whose painting station he was at. "Yeah, I'm...I'm fine. I'm fine! Good work, Harvey!" He clapped the elf enthusiastically on the shoulders, already looking at the door. "I've got to go. Something's come up."

"Of course, sir! Thank you!" Harvey looked like like he'd won the lottery. As puzzling as it was, praise from the head elf was a rare thing, so even though he didn't understand what exactly had caused the excitement, he was thrilled.

Bernard didn't even make it to the door before he just decided to teleport. He arrived shortly in the Music department, almost bumping into someone before apologizing and asking where Archie was. The elf seemed confused by his apology but pointed up at the booth anyway.

"He's on air."

"Thanks."

The elf's puzzled look only grew watching Bernard walk off purposefully, but then he shrugged and then moved off with a crate of cds.

Bernard all but burst into the booth, immediately being shushed by several other elves. He scowled, about to ask where their supervisor was before he saw Archie in the back corner of the room, feet up on the sound board as he scrolled through what appeared to be a tablet. When he saw Bernard, he pulled off his headphones and grinned.

"Well hey there, boss. What brings you by my neck of the woods?"

"I uh, need your help with something."

"Oh?" The rest of the elves in the room picked up their ears at the time of Bernard's voice, intrigued.

"Yeah. _Alone_ , if you don't mind."

Understanding crossed Archie's face. "I see. Guys, give us the booth, will you? Maybe run out to the Grille and pick us all up a late lunch. That be great. Thanks, you're the best!" Once the room was cleared his cheerful face fell away and he scooted his chair forward, interested. "So what exactly do you need my expertise for?"

Bernard took one of the newly vacated seats, careful not to bump any of the countless buttons or levers or dials on the board with his elbows. "It's about Elle."

"When is it not?" Archie replied with a knowing grin. Seeing Bernard's shocked look he cleared his throat in an effort not to laugh. "Sorry, please continue."

"I'm having a hard time getting through to her."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And I realized that since talking isn't getting across to her, maybe music would. I mean, she's nearly always got part of a headset in just because it blocks out the noise and makes things easier with her telepathy. Music means a lot to her. Only thing is, I'm not really much of an authority on modern music? Or even the types she likes. You've spent time with her discussing that very thing."

"Indeed I have. Hours in fact, it's been very informative. Did you know she listens to not only a wide variety of genres, but also music in French, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, Hawaiian of course, Spanish…" he counted, ticking them off on his fingers.

"So you can see how hopeless it is for me to try and figure out which song gets across what I'm trying to say. The only question is, will you help me?"

"You want _me_ to help you find the perfect song to describe how you're feeling?"

Bernard nodded rather eagerly.

"Well then, you've come to the right elf." Archie grinned as Bernard let out a sigh of relief and took his beret off, running a hand over his curls.

"Thank you. I'll owe you one."

"Nonsense! It's not like you're the first elf to come to me with a music request. Besides, I'm glad to help you two find your funky flow."

"Funky flow?"

"Mhmm!" Kicking his feet off the board, Archie showed him the tablet in his hand. "Miss Elle signed us up for a music subscription. I've been browsing all day, the selection is _expansive_ and it's all digital! _Insane_. Now, just what is it you're trying to say?"

Bernard twisted his hat nervously in his hands, hesitant to spill to Archie, of all people—even though he needed to.

"It's okay, Bernard, I'm not Curtis. Whatever you tell me, it's not going to get around the workshop. My lips are sealed."

With a chuckle, Bernard shook his head, took a deep breath, and began. "It's like this…"

* * *

Elle left Santa's suites in a considerably better mood than when she'd arrived. Buddy, with his bubbly enthusiasm and kindness, had once again managed to lift her spirits and make her feel just a little less hopeless. Kids were amazing, she realized. They almost always knew what to say just from observing what was going on, and how to cheer someone up. If only she could be that good at reading into a situation.

Jack's words still weighed heavily on Elle's mind, driving her to reconsider some of the things she'd begun to accept as fact. For instance, did she _know_ Bernard was tricking her? When she'd taken time to rethink the Clause, he hadn't known about how it affected him back when they'd first begun to catch feelings. Once he did realize, he'd told her about it—almost _immediately_ after finding out himself. And the final part of the Clause, she'd found _herself_. She'd unlocked it with her own blood—or so Curtis seemed to think _. Bernard couldn't have seen it before her,_ which meant he didn't _know_ about the concept of them being betrothed. Which lead her to her worst realization yet: maybe Bernard wasn't the one at fault.

She had been the one leading him on all along.

It made sense, when you slowed down enough to think about it, and it had done wonders to dull her previous sense of outrage. She'd been the one to reveal she basically had a crush on him—that had been what lead to that kiss on the forehead that had left her so scrambled. Then, she'd been the one to suggest that maybe what he was looking for was closer than he thought—if _that_ didn't sound like something directly out of a Taylor Swift song, she didn't know what _did._ What resulted from that was their first and second true kisses, after which she turned him down flat? The mixed signals she was sending were _crazy!_

It didn't make her feel any better to realize that after she'd turned him down, she'd basically spent the good portion of half a month shunning him completely. And then, when he tried to come back to her—after she'd left _him_ hanging—she'd done the same thing again: caved and said she had feelings for him, then shut him down. Why did she keep doing that? What was the point of saying she loved him if she was only going to tell him no? She was the one baiting _him,_ not the other way around, and once she realized that her guilt was astronomical.

It was beginning to occur to her that if she wanted a resolution to things, it kind of lay with her to approach Bernard about it; and for the first time, that felt nearly impossible. Oddly, she'd never felt intimidated by him until now, when she had to admit she'd been the one at fault. Was that her pride talking? Maybe, but she felt as though it had more to do with her being the one to initiate the vulnerability. So far, he'd always had to coax her into telling him things and coming to him on her own felt...strange.

She was still considering just how she was going to bring the subject up when she entered the workshop for the first time that evening. Immediately she realized she'd forgotten it was Friday, because the music was not the usually Christmas tunes but instead the playlist she'd sent Archie for that week. It actually calmed her to hear something she recognized on a personal level, so she turned off her thoughts for a moment and simply enjoyed the songs as she went about her rounds, basically picking up where Bernard had left off and doing her best to raise the morale and take notes on progress.

About halfway through the shift though, the song changed to something she didn't remember putting on the list. In fact it was completely unfamiliar, and she wondered if Archie had made a last minute change to the plan.

Not that she was complaining, the song was nice. But the lyrics were a little too on point for her, and she found herself once again growing remorseful for the way she'd been behaving. And even though she knew if anyone had changed the song it was Archie, goddamn if it didn't strike a chord.

It got to the point where she stopped moving, just leaning against one of the pillars in the room out of way of traffic listening and thinking. It was catchy, she had to admit, but she never would have suggested it. _She thought she and Archie had agreed no love songs that week?_ And then she realized that there was a familiar beret on the other side of the room and she became twice as determined to look casual, because there _weren't_ tears in the corners of her eyes again and she was _fine..._

"You alright, Miss Elle?" A tiny, auburn haired elf from wrapping asked. Elle was at her workstation, checking over a few new types of bows that went with presents for older children and might speed up production.

"Hmm? Ah, yeah." Elle sniffed and pinched at the inner corners of her eyes. "Yeah I'm fine, sorry. What were you saying, Amelia?"

Amelia didn't seem entirely convinced, but didn't press the subject. Elle found herself barely hanging onto the explanation, half distracted by the song until she was startled from her trance.

"Speeds up wrapping by half a minute? Sounds good by me."

Elle jumped, her mind shorting out with a mixture of alarm and relief and worry and—

 _Snap!_ The sound of a lightbulb bursting made her jump a second time, a flustered sigh escaping from between her teeth. She reached up and as if following her hand, the shards reassembled and the bulb flicked back to life. Amelia looked startled, though she didn't look as though she were sure by what more: Bernard's arrival or Elle's display.

"Hello, sir. Ah...is that normal?"

"Normal? Of course not. But I'm able to, so…" Elle shrugged, her ears going slightly pink. "I think you're in good hands here, Amy. Sorry about the light."

"Elle?" The sound of Bernard's slightly weary tone didn't make her turn around. This had been her last stop before she got to go to check R and D to see how the sleigh preparations were going. She didn't think he'd follow her there, since it was too noisy to hold any sort of conversation. She almost kicked herself again as she heard the distinctive sound of his footsteps following after her, knowing that it was on her to finally apologize but she just didn't feel _ready_ yet.

"Ellington!"

"What!" Elle spun around, fists clenched angrily and tears obviously brimming in her eyes. Bernard stopped in his tracks, looking shocked as the other elves froze and murmured. She looked around, realizing what a mistake she'd made by letting her temper snap. The elves hadn't ever seen this side of her before, and didn't know what to think. The weight of their judgement on her shoulders only made things worse. "Forget it," she muttered, rubbing her nose with a knuckle. She felt like she was going to burst into tears any moment, she was so angry.

"My office, _now."_ Bernard's tone made her jump a little bit, as did the sharp tone he turned on the elves. "Back to work! There's nothing to see here." Next moment he had her by the elbow, leading her down the hall with the crowd parting wordlessly. She didn't even bother to look at his face.

 _Well, now you've done it Ellington,_ she thought at herself bitterly. _Ten to one you've just gotten yourself fired or worse, made an enormous fool of yourself._

"Stop that." At first, Elle didn't think she'd heard correctly. Bernard pushed open the door to his office, ushering her in first before closing it smartly behind the both of them.

 _You just can't stop messing things up, can you? First your family and then your love life and now finally your job, the_ only _thing among those three that you were any good at_ —

"I said, _stop it."_ Next thing she knew she was being tugged into a pair of warm, secure arms and held tight. "Stop _thinking_ those kind of thoughts about yourself. Do you think I can't hear them, especially when we're this close?" Bernard's voice was all too forgiving and before she knew what was happening she was crying.

"I'm sorry," she said, her words punctuated with sobs. "I keep thinking...you're the one who's making this difficult but it's me! It's been me all along. I'm so _stupid_ —"

"No, you're _not."_

" _But I'm so bad at this!"_

"Who said I was any good at it either?" Bernard replied, chuckling a little. "Listen, I know this has been far from perfect and a lot of that _is_ my fault."

"But it's mostly mine! I mean _come on,_ who on earth says 'I love you' and then says 'but we're better off separate'? I should have just never told you! _That_ would have been fair, but not this. I'm sorry. All I've done is hurt you when all I want wanted to do was spare you from the train wreck that I am."

"Well to be fair, you never said you loved me."

Elle froze, her heart in her throat. "What?"

"You never _said_ you loved me, Elle. You admitted you had feelings for me and said you _wanted_ me but that's not the same thing. Not really. And that's okay with me, because I can understand that these things take time and you might not be ready to tell me the way I told you. I can wait. Hell, I can wait a really long time, if I have to. Upside to being an elf, I guess."

"You're insane, you know that?" Elle looked up at him, her nose red and eyes heavy with sadness. "I'm here and I can't even say I love you let alone be with you and you're _willing to wait?_ "

Bernard met her gaze without wavering, simply shrugging. "You're worth it."

"Why can't you just let go? It'd be so much easier, you could find someone else and be _happy_."

"Because—and I know you have trouble wrapping your head around this, but bear with me—I don't see you as a train wreck. You're the only one perceiving yourself that way, I don't."

Elle looked away, clearly not convinced but unable to argue. "We...we don't have time for this. You're supposed to be getting Santa ready for the year end conference and I still have rounds to make—"

"Scott's still having dinner with the family, and _you_ are here because _I_ brought you here." Bernard looked at her, cocking his head to the side and opening his mouth as if to say something when she cut him off.

"Before you say anything else," Elle warned, holding up a hand. "You need to read the rest of the Clause."

"There's _more_ to the Clause?"

Elle nodded. "I went to find answers last night and got a little more than I bargained for. I...I think you should read it before we talk about this anymore."

Bernard hesitated but eventually nodded in agreement. "I'll be right back. Wait here?" He asked, and Elle could tell he thought she'd go off without finishing the conversation. She had to admit, she was tempted.

"Okay." After a slight silence Bernard left the room, leaving Ellington to sort herself out. She felt jittery and nervous and wanted more than anything to disappear but that wasn't practical. She'd been running away from her problems long enough, and now it was time to face the music. She eventually sighed and took a seat in one of the chairs, pulling her knees up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them as she watched the door. She knew (or thought) she'd be able to tell when he was on his way back. But that didn't stop her from stressing the entire time regardless.

She had briefly considered _not_ telling Bernard about that part of the Clause at all. She'd also considered wiping Curtis' mind of her having ever visited him—while memory removal was still only a theoretical thing for her, Jack thought it would be possible with the right motivation. But it simply wasn't right, and she knew she couldn't have lived with herself if she had gone through with that plan. More than anyone this Clause had to do with Bernard; sure she was caught up in it, but it had been written for him. He _deserved_ to know, and in the end her reason won out over her instinct.

It still didn't stop her from sweating a storm while waiting for him to return.

When he finally did come back, the door clicked open slowly and Elle hid her face against her knees, not wanting to see his initial expression. Granted, she was intrigued to see if this changed the way he felt about her, but it was also frightening-which led her into having to admit she cared if his opinion changed. But after the sound of the door clicking shut and a good few seconds of silence her worry won out, and she looked up to find him leaning against the door. He was looking right at her, eyes wide with shock.

"You...you read it?"

A nod.

"And…?"

"And...and what the hell."

Elle sighed, resting her forehead on her knees again. "My thoughts exactly."

"Elle I want you to know...I didn't know about...if I'd had _any_ idea how serious—"

"It's okay, I know you didn't know about it. Curtis was as shocked as I was."

"Curtis _knew_ and didn't tell me?"

"I made him promise not to," Elle explained, looking up just enough to fidget with her sleeve. "At least not until this evening, and only if I chickened out on being able to tell you myself." The room fell silent again, and when she dared to look up next she found him staring at the ceiling.

"So. Betrothed, hmm?"

"Yeah. That's ah...that's more than I was expecting."

"Guess that makes both of us." Elle let go of her legs, sitting upright in the chair again. "Listen, this doesn't have to be difficult—"

"Don't." Bernard held up a hand, and Elle cringed a little. "If you're going to start in on me again with another way out, just don't. I already understand how you feel about things and I...I just need a moment to process this." He leaned away from the door, making his way around the table to his own chair where he collapsed as if suddenly bone weary.

Elle knew it was fair of him to shut her down like that, but she still didn't like it. If anything, it made her feel even more guilty. Not only had she been playing with his emotions but now, what should have been a happy revelation was ruined by the fact that he thought that she didn't want him.

"I understand." She got up from her seat a bit sheepishly, still fidgeting with the hem of her flannel as a means of distracting herself from how painfully embarrassed and unsure she was. "I'll just um...finish my rounds and then...when you're done thinking, maybe we can talk?" She turned before he could reply. "See you later."

"Wait, Elle—" Bernard had barely opened his mouth to reply before she was dissolving in a cloud of silver sparks. Frustrated, he lashed out and kicked at the edge of his desk, the sudden jolt popping the top drawer open. Staring up at him like the most obvious thing in the world was the little red ring box he'd come to dread so much, nestled in amongst an array of letters and other miscellany. He'd thought that once he knew who it was for, who he was supposed to give it to, everything would be simple. Instead, it all seemed impossible and he even wondered if Elle had been right after all in telling him to find someone else.

But no, that was just his sense of overwhelm talking. He sighed, staring at the seat Elle had occupied before glancing up at the clock. He was expected by Santa any minute now, which didn't really give him the time he needed to think. Deciding to deal with his own problems after the council meeting, Bernard got up and straightened himself out as best he could, hoping his state of turmoil wasn't as visible as it felt.

* * *

 _ **How are you all holding up? I'm offering condolence hugs if the angst is getting too real, fam. Otherwise, buckle up! Things are about to get even more topsy-turvy, I'm afraid.**_

 _ **Reviews and comments are always welcomed! Thank you for reading this far, everybody. It occurs to me that as of this chapter this rewrite has hit 100k+ words, which is quite a bit longer than the original. Oh dear. Hopefully you're still finding it enjoyable!**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_16_.

Jack had only gone into the year end conference with one objective: to take a certain item from another legendary and pocket it for his own uses.

Given that he was unceremoniously placed in charge of checking the coats (rude, and something that would have been more suitable for one of Santa's personal minions to do rather than someone of his status) he did get the window of opportunity that he needed to reach into one of Father Time's winter robes and pull out the small device he needed before strolling casually to his designated armchair. He draped himself across the arms, his feet halfway in the air as he made a small show of creating various forms of snow, ice and sleet between his hands. Merely a way to pass the time until Scott actually started talking, and to make himself look busy.

Surprisingly, Jack felt a tinge of guilt at overstepping the boundaries once more-even though this time, it was for a good cause. He knew that if or when the other Figures found out about his actions, he'd at _least_ be temporarily banned from the Council, if not dismissed entirely. That was why he was so keen on keeping the idea of what he was up to completely to himself, until he was ready to share it with Ellington.

Another delightful development the evening had brought was the sight of a very bedraggled Bernard, whom Jack could only guess had heard by now of the rest of the Clause. He felt a nasty little twinge of satisfaction at the sight of the weary elf, half hoping Elle had finally lost her temper completely and gone off on him-though, in reality, if she had Bernard probably wouldn't have been there, but in the Elfirmary instead.

A great portion of the meeting had been spent discussing the "unknown" storm that was still brewing and now encroaching in on the outskirts of Elfsburg. Jack had been quick to throw up his hands in innocence and explain that whatever problems were causing it, it didn't have to do with his Frosty business keeping up the integrity of the Polar Caps. What followed was a lengthy (boring) discussion explaining what the storm was made of and who among the other legendaries was most equipped to go and explore its makeup better. In the end it was settled that both Mother Nature and Father Time would take a look at the phenomena as soon as possible to try and get the whole matter sorted out before Christmas.

By the time Jack had tuned back into the conversation, the meeting was adjourning and Mother Nature and Father Time were deep in discussion with Santa. Off to the side, he noticed Bernard in a somewhat heated conversation with Cupid, which would have made him giggle if it hadn't looked like Bernard was about to be cracked over the head with the legend of Love's bow.

"Hey Frost, wanna go with Sandy and I to the Kitchen for some of that good North Pole cocoa?" Easter Bunny asked, peering over the back of Jack's chair at the sprite sprawled across it.

Jack heaved a sigh and hopped up out of his chair with a surprising amount of grace for a being of his age. "No can do, compadre. I've got business to attend to myself, if you don't mind. Northern Ontario has a bit of a snow front coming in and I can't be late, you know the deal."

"Of course! Never thought I'd see the day when you willingly turned down a chance to relax for work though," EB pointed out, Sandman coming up behind him with a slightly concerned look. Jack only shrugged and offered an airy laugh.

"You boys know I've been trying to set a good example the past few years. Besides, I think some of Elle's punctuality has rubbed off on me." That seemed to satisfy the two figures. Jack gave a little grin. "Now if you'll excuse me. Give my best to Grandmother and Father T, but duty calls." He managed to disappear in a swirl of snowflakes just as Bernard began to stomp his way across the room towards him. A lucky break, as it seemed the elf might have learned of his meddling and _that_ was something Jack didn't need to deal with right now—especially as he was only about to make it worse.

* * *

Elle felt... _really_ bad.

Admittedly, it didn't take a lot to make her feel guilty or at fault. She was the type of person who would take blame for a bad situation and try to make it better as quickly as possible. Perhaps that was why she was so good at her job: she was a peacemaker and didn't _like_ confrontation. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't start her own share of genuine problems, which was where she was finding herself now. In trouble.

Even though she knew that this entire Clause business was a bit beyond her and it would take a considerable amount of research to fully understand the depth of the situation, the phrasing of the document itself gave enough information to go on. After all, "betrothal" pretty much only meant one thing, didn't it? The idea that she'd been somehow magically "engaged" to a _stranger_ her entire life was confusing and quite frankly, alarming. It made her feel like she had even less control over an already convoluted situation and as someone who actually _had_ to keep control of herself in a very literal sense, it didn't feel nice to be that tossed about.

Of course, after so long of hiding her emotions and keeping her real feelings to herself, her carefully crafted facade had begun to crack. After the incident in front of what was a great portion of the evening shift, Elle found herself having a hard time hiding just how upset and worn out she was from the whole thing. So maybe it made sense that the moment she arrived in R and D, Curtis took one look at her and could tell something was wrong.

"Are you _okay?_ Did everything go alright?" He asked, rushing towards her almost as if to support her in case her knees buckled. Did she really look that bad off? Elle didn't think she really wanted to know the answer to that.

"I'm...fine, I guess." She sniffed, her nose a bit more stuffy than she'd expected, and blinked quickly. She found that Quentin was just leaning away from the sleigh, where he appeared to be welding something to the runners. He pulled his goggles off, trying to get a clearer look.

"You look like you've been to hell and back," he commented, swiping at his forehead with a bandanna before adding, "no offense, love."

"None taken," Elle replied, collapsing wearily into a free chair by an overcrowded-as-usual counter. She tried to give Curtis a reassuring smile but found herself almost grimacing instead. "And to answer your question, I have no idea how it went. He seemed...shaken. Which I can understand completely. He said he needed some time to think so I made myself scarce and came here and honestly? I have no idea what's going on, or how I'm supposed to feel about any of it."

"What am I missing?" Quentin asked, coming over to join them, and Curtis gave him a brief recap of what was going on with the Clause.

"And Bernard's known about this for how long? That it affected him, I mean." Curtis told him, and Quentin frowned deeply. He seemed almost offended, somehow. "That's odd. I would have expected him to come and talk to me about it by now. Thought we were better mates than that."

"Don't feel bad, Quentin. I think he's been playing this one really close to his chest," Curtis replied, clapping the other elf on the shoulder comfortingly.

"You two are good friends?" Elle asked, intrigued, and Quentin nodded.

"Better than most! 'S why I'm surprised he didn't come and rant at me about this particular problem by now. Especially one of such a personal nature, which doesn't tend to be something he likes to deal with. At least as far as I've seen. I have to admit, he hadn't been acting like himself the past few months—and especially since _you_ arrived, Elle. I should have known something else was afoot."

Elle nodded, looking down at her lap. "Seems like I've done a lot of _disturbing_ around here, since I showed up."

"With all due respect, don't be daft! You've set us ahead leaps and bounds in respects we didn't even know we were behind in. Besides that, anyone could tell you that the atmosphere in the workshop is better than it's been in centuries—and that's considering the upward spike morale took when our present Santa took the reigns, if you'll pardon the multiple puns."

Curtis snickered in spite of himself, and even Elle's lips tilted upward in a smile.

"Thanks, that's...that's kind of you."

"Not a problem. Every elf likes to know that they're needed and appreciated." Quentin took a seat on a nearby bench. "So, he's taking some thinking time, hmm?"

"That's what he said."

"In other words, he's actually overwhelmed by this."

"Makes a lot of sense; it's a lot to take in," Curtis added helpfully, picking up a clipboard and checking off a few things just to keep busy.

"I don't think that's really it though."

Elle's ears couldn't help but perk up at that. "Oh?"

"Nah." Quentin smirked a little, shaking his head. "It's not like him. Bernard acts like he's made of logic and reason but really, he's all heart. I think he's honestly shocked that things are actually going his way."

"'Going his way'. How do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Well quite frankly it's no secret that he's been moony eyed over you and trying to hide it for some time now. That's already strange enough, but _most_ of us had the decency not to bring it up." Quentin shot a look over at Curtis, who went a little red and chuckled uncomfortably. "Then again, you always did like getting his goat."

"Well _somebody_ had to tell him he was staring too hard."

"It was that obvious?" They both realized that Elle's eyes had gone wide and she was almost curled up in her seat, biting her thumbnail nervously.

"Don't worry! I only poked fun at _Bernard;_ I didn't tell anybody about it," Curtis was quick to add, trying to comfort her. But it was Quentin who came up with a real reply.

"Of course it was obvious. We all know he's become less high strung since Scott took over, but since you've been here? He was downright _happy,_ and then _melancholy_ when things went downhill. And the way he caters to you? That's a side of the boss we thought we'd never see. It's a nice change, I'm not going to lie. I think you're good for him—you know, when you two aren't driving each other crazy."

Elle sighed, feeling a little surprised at how revealing this unexpected conversation had become. "Thank you, I _think._ It's just hard to know if anything I've done is right. And I have no idea what this means, or what we're supposed to do about it."

Curtis gave a shrug, offering Elle the clipboard. "Maybe working might help you find some clarity. I know it works for me! Well...sometimes."

"Thanks, Curtis. I'll take you up on that."

Elle spent the next few hours working with them, finding some strange kind of solace in being busy and not having to think about her problems. Quentin remained kind but surprisingly quiet, as though he were deep in thought. Only when the shift was drawing to a close and they'd finished with the maintenance did he finally pull her aside, asking for a word.

"I just wanted to say," he began, out of Curtis' earshot. "Whatever choice you decide to make, please consider Bernard's feelings. He plays it tough, but I think we both know the guy is sensitive. I'd hate to see my friend broken-hearted for no good reason, you know? Especially when he cares about you so very much."

Elle grew solemn once again, her eyes flicking to the clock. The council had adjourned by now, meaning Bernard could ask to talk to her any minute—or not, as the case might be. He might go days, or weeks before he wanted to discuss it again; she had no idea. Everything was up in the air.

"Trust me, Quentin. Hurting him is the _last_ thing I want to do. I just don't know what the kind option is anymore."

"If I might have permission to speak my mind?"

Elle looked surprised. "Who am I to stop you? By all means."

"I think you're making this more complicated than it really is. If you two care about each other, then that should be the most important thing at the end of the day. That's all."

"If only it really were that easy."

"It can be, if you let it. But that's not really for me to say." Quentin gave her arm a comforting squeeze. "Hang in there, Elle. Love's not the _worst_ thing that can happen to you." For the first time, Elle noticed the ring on his own finger. So he was speaking from a position of authority, then. He moved off to finish putting away the welding equipment, but before he could wander off too far, Elle decided to speak up.

"Quentin?"

The elf looked up with a questioning glance. "Yes?"

"Bernard is lucky to have a friend like you."

Quentin smiled. "To put it in your words: thanks, I _think."_

Still, Elle had to wonder how many times she had to hear the same advice from _everyone_ she spoke to before the concept sank in: maybe her mistake wasn't in giving Bernard false hope. Maybe, just _maybe_ , her real problem was that she kept refusing to say _yes._

* * *

The council meeting didn't go as smoothly for everyone as it had for Jack.

This, of course, had directly to do with Cupid. The legend of Love, who had very little to do with the conversation that took up most of the meeting, found himself instead focusing on the worn out looking elf in the corner. By now all of the Legendaries knew that Bernard was diligent and oftentimes overworked, but this was something else entirely. This was something right up Cupid's alley, and he knew it. He knew all the signs.

Bernard didn't have to say anything for the cherub to approach him after the council officially adjourned. In spite of the respect he knew he should show Bernard found himself letting out a sigh at the sight of the being fluttering his way, already dreading the questioning and unwanted advice he was probably about to receive.

"So, I can see that _something_ is different from the last time I saw you, and not necessarily in a good way. What's up with you? What girl's got you in such a twist?"

"It's not something that I want to talk about right now," Bernard replied a bit coldly, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening in. Even Frost seemed busy though, so he wasn't too worried.

"You know, I can help if you need me to. You just gotta say the word, and I can do my thing. Help the two of you work through whatever little disagreement that's got you so upset."

The elf gave an unconvinced snort. "Got anything that can make someone stop being afraid of love entirely?"

Cupid did a double take. "For you, or for your lovely lady?"

Bernard rolled his eyes. "For her. Oddly enough, I'm not the one who's having commitment issues."

"Who woulda seen that coming? I always had you pegged for the slippery type when it came to actually putting a ring on it."

"That's _really_ not funny." Cupid saw the elf's mood go a little more sour, and knew he'd struck a nerve.

"What, the idea of marriage makes you angry now?"

Bernard explained.

"Oh. _Oh._ That makes a _lot_ of sense _."_ Cupid grew thoughtful. "Now I understand why I couldn't seem to do my thing and find your match. You were already paired up! Huh. It's a little outdated, I'll admit. _Betrothal_. Been a hundred or so years since that was popular, at least with the humans. Ellington must be pretty shaken up."

"I didn't say it was Elle," Bernard said, squinting suspiciously. Cupid rolled his eyes, unfazed.

"Isn't it obvious? It doesn't exactly take a c _upid_ to see that there were sparks between you two."

"Right." That idea didn't seem to make him happy.

"Not to mention the elves are still talking about the way you've been coming onto her like a wildfire lately. Well, for you at any rate; so a _repressed_ wildfire."

"Oh, _great."_ More rumors around the workshop, _just_ what they needed. At this rate he'd have to make some sort of public apology for the way the two of them had been acting over the past few weeks. Or at least, on his part. Elle had been as cool and collected as ever until this morning.

"Well, at least things are finally working out. I'm happy for ya!" Cupid seemed content, as if some long carried weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"What?"

"You know, now that you're engaged and all, you can both stop pretending to hide your feelings all the time."

"Excuse me? I'm not the one who's been withholding feelings. And anyway, we may be _technically_ betrothed but right now, that's up in the air."

Cupid stiffened. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly, his tone almost dangerous.

"Elle may think she's good at keeping her thoughts to herself, but she's remarkably transparent—at least to me. She wants to dissolve the Clause. To 'give me my best chance' or something like that."

"So in other words she still thinks she's bad news?"

"Basically."

"Are you _dense?"_

" _Pardon?"_

"Zeus' beard, Bernard, I _thought_ you were an _intelligent_ elf. Don't you get it _?_ You're in love with her, you have to _teach her to see herself through your eyes._ Love her until she loves herself. Now is _not_ the time to sit back and let her keep her bad opinions!"

"You think I don't know that? What do you _think I've been trying to do?!"_ The head elf whisper-shouted furiously, gesturing wildly with his hands. "I've been holding onto her until she's running _away_ from me! I've been doing everything I can _think_ of to get through to her, _including_ a few creative options, and _nothing is working_. Every step I take forward she takes one towards me and three back. All that's left for me to do now is to let her _go,_ and hope she comes back to me. Because despite what you seem to think, and what I've been hoping all this time, _I can't make her love me."_

It was only when he finished his rant that Bernard realized he wasn't whispering anymore, and the rest of the room was staring at him. "Sorry," he apologized flatly, his shoulders slumping. Mother Nature and Father Time eventually turned back to their conversation with Santa, still seeming a bit surprised that Bernard had had the nerve to yell at Cupid outright.

Cupid however, just seemed resigned. "Maybe Jack was right," he said under his breath with a sigh.

"What."

"I said, _maybe Frost was right!"_ Cupid hissed, hovering closer to the elf's face and forcing him to take a step back. "Maybe, you _aren't_ good for her. Because that girl needs someone who isn't going to abandon her like her family did, and _you_ don't seem to be that guy."

" _Frost._ I knew he was sticking his impish nose where it doesn't _belong."_ Bernard gritted out the name between his teeth, ducking past the cherub to stride towards the sprite in question. Before he made it halfway across the room, however, Jack vanished in a swirl of snowflakes. A full blown inquisition still on the tip of his tongue, Bernard clenched his fists and glared at the space the legend had been in until a large hand was set onto the seething elf's shoulder.

It was Santa, of course. "I think you'd better let this one go, Number One," he suggested calmly.

"But Santa—"

" _No_ buts. Stirring up trouble with Jack will only make things worse. He's friends with Elle too, you know. I'm sure he was just asking Cupid about her out of concern."

"Making statements about whether or not I'm good for her is _not_ friendly concern," Bernard said, exasperated.

"It doesn't matter. If he was asking it probably had something to do with something Elle said to him. You need to let it go."

"But I'm not the one who's a bad influence! Ten to one _Jack_ is a big reason why Elle has so many doubts in the first place. Oh, I should have seen this coming." Bernard set a fretful hand on his hat, worried eyes casting about the room as if searching for answers.

"Bernard, _relax._ Seriously, you're working yourself up into a frenzy. I know this is all kinds of new and frustrating but try to keep some perspective! Things could be worse."

"How could things be worse?! The girl I love wants to break off our engagement before we even have a shot at trying it out. I don't think it's gets much worse than that."

"It could be worse," Cupid chimed in, his tone still judgmental and pointed, "if she wasn't doing all of this because she cares about you so much."

"At this point, I have to say that she has a _pretty_ strange way of showing it."

* * *

Seven o'clock found Elle curled up on her sofa, halfway through an eggnog latte with the latest _Harry Potter_ book spread across her lap. She was doing her best to distract herself from the real world with fantasy—as magical as the "real" world really was for her, it was far from fantastic at the moment. She still had a nagging ache in her stomach that she couldn't quite get rid of, and a terrible sense of foreboding was hanging over her head like an invisible storm cloud.

Somewhere mid chapter a familiar cold presence crept into the back of her mind, and she sighed out loud. ' _Well hello, Jack. What brings you to my neck of the woods?'_

' _Ah, there you are. I've got something to show you.'_

' _Now?'_ Elle looked out the window at the already fading light and the beginnings of a heavy snowfall.

' _As soon as you're available. What are you up to now? I can stop by, no fuss no muss for you. Just so long as grouchy Shirley Temple isn't around.'_

Elle felt bad for laughing a little, but couldn't help herself. She needed the humor too much. ' _I'm at home. Stop by if you'd like, I'm alone.'_

' _Great!'_ Next thing she knew there was a swirling mass of snowflakes on her hearthrug and then a fully formed Jack, grinning with excitement.

"Were you just waiting for me to say come over?"

"Basically? Yes. I was too excited to wait until the morning." He hurried over and took a seat next to her on the couch, formality abandoned in his eagerness. Elle noticed that he was holding something in his hand, but when he opened his palm, she was confused by what she saw.

"A fob watch?"

He held up a finger, and she knew an informative lecture was coming. Elle settled back into the cushions, clutching her cup as Jack began.

"Not just any fob watch. This particular watch happens to be the exclusive property of Father Time himself. It's a simple tool, but a powerful one. With this device, it's possible to rewrite a timeline, or even destroy one completely."

"And...how did you come to have it? Or do I not want to know."

"You...probably don't need the details," Jack admitted, and Elle rolled her eyes. "Don't be so skeptical! It's for the greater good."

"From what I've seen in pretty much every book, tv show and movie that touches on the subject, meddling with time is a tricky and dangerous business. _Please_ tell me you haven't done anything reckless," Elle pleaded, already seeming worried. In reality, she was petrified. A plethora of bad case scenarios (especially from _Doctor Who)_ were spiraling through her head and the fact that those kind of problems were actually _possible_ was rather frightening.

"You sound an awful lot like Bean-head when you talk like that. It's not like you," Jack said distastefully, nudging her arm. "Where's your sense of adventure, hmm? The Elle I know is always ready to try new things."

"When all of time and space hangs in the balance, I've learned it's no time to be cheeky." She reconsidered after a moment. "Actually, that's _exactly_ the time to be cheeky, and clever. What are you planning to do with this watch, Jack, that you're so keen on sharing with me?"

Jack broke into a grin. "How about a world with no Emissary Clause, for starters."

"You can't be serious."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Elle sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Jack, if you destroy the Emissary Clause I'll never have come here."

"And?"

"And my father will _die._ Everything I've sacrificed will be for nothing."

"But what if your father was never ill in the first place?" Jack asked wryly, an eyebrow arched as he waited for her reaction. He wasn't disappointed. Elle leaned forward , her expression growing interested.

"I'm listening."

"What if, I gave you the perfect life. You'd have your family together in one piece-which is better than you've ever had it before-and well off, at that. You could finally have everything you've been missing, Elle! You could have a second _chance_." He seemed very passionate about the subject of a second chance, which made Elle wonder a lot of things.

"But then I never would have come here, would I?"

"There'd be no cause for it. Of course, nothing else would change here. Everyone else would keep their precious memories of you and of everything that's happened. The only thing that would change is the Clause would suddenly cease to exist and you would be...well, somewhere else. Wherever you'd like to be! It's the perfect solution to _all_ of your woes. So, what do you think?"

Elle was silent for a while after Jack finished speaking, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "Why are you doing this for me?" She asked, genuine confusion on her face. "I mean, you went through all this trouble just to find me a way out of my situation? What are _you_ gaining from this that I don't know about, Jack?"

"Nothing," Jack replied, holding up his hands and his face the picture of innocence. "I'm not getting anything out of this, I promise. I just…" He looked into the fireplace, his normally bubbly attitude melting away into something akin to remorse. "I understand what it's like to miss your family. From the get-go, I didn't like the idea of you losing your loved ones for the sake of their happiness. But at the time, there was no better option. Can't say I was particularly _happy_ to see you become one of Santa's little helpers—"

" _Jack."_

"All the same," Jack went on with a slight smirk. "At least you were okay. And then all of this nonsense with _Bernard_ started up and I had to watch you grow unhappier with each passing day until it occurred to me that this wasn't your only option. You _could_ have everything, if I found a way to make it happen." He grew very solemn, meeting her gaze.

"There was a time when I walked away from my family too. I did something...something terrible, unforgivable even, and my actions were purely selfish. I hurt the people I cared about, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret what I did. Sometimes I think I'd do anything to fix it, I just...don't know how to begin." He cleared his throat and forced a cheerful smile, and Elle was shocked to think that she might have actually just seen tears in the corners of his eyes. "But it hasn't been nearly as long for you as it has for me. You can still jump in and seize the moment! Make something better for yourself."

"But...what about Bernard?" That was the question Jack had been dreading, and by the look on Elle's face she had a lot of guilt about the idea of just up and leaving him. "It would be cruel to just _abandon_ him after everything I've put him through."

"Isn't this the best option?" Jack sighed. "I mean, I can't claim to be _too_ concerned with how things work out for him, but this might be the clean break he needs to get over you."

Elle nodded silently, considering the potential of what Jack was suggesting. "Do you even know how to work that thing?" She asked, and his mood immediately skyrocketed. She was _considering_ it.

"I've been over the instructions a dozen or so times, so I'm pretty sure I've got a handle on it! Should be a piece of cake."

Elle grew quiet again. She had wanted a way out, she had to admit. But over the course of the day, between talking to others and taking time on her own to reflect, she'd begun to feel less overwhelmed by the idea of what was happening and even felt _okay_ with parts of it. She really _did_ owe it to Bernard, who had been waiting with his heart in his hands, to try and stop being afraid of showing love again. Maybe it was time for her to stop fighting the current.

"I don't know, Jack," she said finally, staring into her mug at the latte foam. "I have a responsibility here, I can't just selfishly take an easy way out because I don't want to face my problems." She set her hand atop his, sandwiching the watch between their palms. "It was really kind of you to go to such lengths just to try and help me, but I can't do this. It isn't right. I'm sorry."

Jack sighed, bowing his head for a moment. Elle felt really bad that she'd disappointed him, but she knew she had to make the right choice. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, surprised when he squeezed back. It was only when he didn't let go that a twinge of alarm ran through her blood, and when she suddenly realized that his mental presence had all but disappeared did the panic really began to set in.

"Jack? What's going on?"

"Oh, Ellington. I'd _so_ hoped you'd make this easy."

He looked up, a determined look on his face. Before she could make any sort of panicked noise his thumb shifted and hit the button on the watch. A faint whirring sound began and the watch slowly started to glow, casting light out between their fingers.

"What are you doing?! Don't—"

"It's too late." Jack looked genuinely sad for a moment. "I'm sorry, _mon cher,_ but I really do know what's best. You'll thank me later."

"Jack, no! I don't want this!" The next thing she knew everything was dissolving into white light, and then…

...then there was nothing.

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_17._

 _Seventeen years ago_

A single mother waited to see her baby for the first time, having just woken up from the anesthesia. The baby had come early, and had breached during delivery. The woman looked around worriedly. "Where is my baby? Is my baby alright?"

"Relax, Josette. Your baby is fine," a nurse told her gently, in an effort to calm her down. Josette leaned back in bed, trying to slow her breathing as another nurse entered the room, a bundle of blankets in her arms. "You've had a baby girl, congratulations. What would you like to name her?"

Josette smiled.

 _Fourteen years ago_

"Mama, if I ask Santa for a daddy and a sister for Christmas, do you think he'll listen?" asked a tiny girl with an unruly bobcut of curls. She was staring up at the Christmas tree, eyes wide with amazement at all the lights.

Josette smiled from the ladder she was on, a garland of tinsel in her hands. "I think if you're very, very good, he just might."

That weekend at a Christmas party, Josette and her daughter met a certain Mr. Connelly and his daughter Dorothy, and the rest, they say, is history.

 _Nine years ago_

That same girl, now with a long braid down her back, was skating around an ice rink alone. Outdoors, it was almost a hundred degrees; a real Indian summer. The ice rink was mostly abandoned, one of the more forgotten places in town, which made it one of her favorite places to go.

The girl tripped on her shoelace and would have face planted into the ice had a strong, cold hand not caught her by the shoulder. She looked up to find a pair of very blue, very amused eyes framed by blonde, almost white hair looking back at her. It was another girl, a few years older by the looks of things, and she was smiling.

"You alright there, kid?"

 _Two years ago_

The Connelly family sat crammed in a hospital waiting room, anxious awaiting any sort of news. The wait seemed to stretch on forever, but finally Phillip Connelly reemerged from the back with the Doctor at his elbow, relieved smiles on both of their faces.

"It was just a false alarm," he told them, and the room erupted into exclamations and tears of joy as hugs were given and received.

"Everything is going to be okay."

* * *

 _Now_

At first it was just a tremor. Then, it was a full on rattling of every loose item on every shelf and surface. By the time anyone noticed it, the entirety of the Pole was shaking like someone was tapping angrily on the glass of a snow globe.

When it stopped, everyone looked around each other. Nothing had changed, yet everything felt just a little _different_ , somehow. The greater majority shrugged the feeling off and went about their day, but some took a greater concern at the unexpected phenomena.

Bernard hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep at his desk until he was waking up, startled by the sound of something glass falling and shattering in the distance. He felt the last of the tremors and, once they had stopped, got up and went to the window on some inexplicable urge. There, he was startled to find everything normal. Why? Because the dark foreboding storm clouds on the edge of Elfsburg were gone at last.

"At least that's one thing going right," he muttered to himself, heaving a sigh of relief that Mother Nature and Father Time must have finally put a stop to whatever was causing the storm in the first place. But before he could feel too relieved he realized that not only had he fallen asleep during a shift, he'd ruined his plan to talk to Elle before the day was over. He hadn't wanted to stress her out even more by leaving the subject untouched for too long, and he could only hope that this hadn't made it look like he didn't care.

Swearing under his breath, he snatched his beret off the desk and his bag from somewhere on the ground and made his way out of his office, resolving to make a round of the workshop before finding Elle and finishing their conversation. His stomach was wound in knots just thinking about the decision he'd come to, and how much potential pain it was going to hold for him. His working theory was that if he gave Ellington complete control over the Clause and what they did with it, she might choose not to dissolve it after all.

He wasn't sure why he cared so much. For all intents and purposes they could dissolve the Clause and still date whenever they decided to, but there was something very special about the betrothal that made him not want to toss it aside so ungratefully.

To his mild surprise, the elves reported that Elle hadn't been around the floor yet either, which was worrying. She was always on time and was usually already in the thick of things by this time of morning. Concerned, he decided to go and see Santa in his office, but instead ran into him on the staircase.

"Did you feel that earthquake earlier?" Was the first thing out of Scott's mouth, and Bernard nodded.

"Pretty sure everyone did, it shook the whole building. Guess Mother Nature and Father Time really took care of business."

"That's what worries me. They went home last night and promised to be back in two days time, _not_ today."

"But the storm is gone."

"Exactly." Scott looked uneasy before drumming his fingers on his stomach. "Something's going on here. I don't know what yet, but I'm beginning to think I don't like it."

"Have you seen Elle this morning?"

"No. Why, did things go badly last night?"

"I don't know, we didn't end up talking. But apparently she hasn't shown up for work."

Scott frowned. "That's unusual. She's usually quite the early bird, isn't she?"

"Right. That's why I'm worried."

"Have you checked her room yet?"

"No, I was on my way there after I saw you."

"Well, you should go and see if she's alright. It's not like her to let her personal life get in the way of work, she might be having a harder time than we thought."

"Gods, I hope not." The elf continued up the staircase, already frowning worriedly and expecting the worst.

"Hey, Bernard?"

He turned around at the top of the landing. "Yeah, Santa?"

"Go easy on her. You know that saying, 'try a little tenderness'?"

"It's a song, actually."

"Well, take it to heart either way, okay? Women appreciate that kind of stuff."

"Sure thing." Bernard trundled off towards Elle's suite, an irritated little scowl on his lips. He still didn't like taking romantic advice from his boss, and even now he couldn't say he was exactly enjoying it. Still, the expression was one of worry more than anything—a feeling that only grew when he reached Elle's room.

"What are you doing?" He demanded when he saw her door wide open, a cart outside in the hall. There was a small cleaning crew inside, one elf scrubbing some sort of spill on the floor and another holding up a ruined copy of a _Harry Potter_ book.

"What does it look like?" one replied, an elf he recognized as Felicity, head of housekeeping. "Somebody thought it would be nice to use one of the guest suites as a cozy reading nook last night; only they left the place trashed. Couldn't believe my eyes when I came by on my rounds this morning. Probably one of the young recruits, always taking liberties…"

"What are you talking about? This is _Elle's_ room. Where are all of her things? What have you done with all of her memorabilia? She's going to have a _fit_ if you've tossed out anything she brought from home..."

"Who's Elle?" That's when Bernard's stomach really began to sink.

"Elle—Ellington." Seeing no recognition on the elf's faces he looked around with increasing distress. "Ellington Connelly? Your new Number Two elf? Come on, have you guys been hibernating this past few months? This isn't news."

"This room was just like this when we found it," Felicity explained, and Bernard, now thoroughly rattled, came into the room to snatch the book from the smaller elf. He flipped through the damaged pages (which still smelled strongly of coffee) before holding it up in her face.

"There, see? 'Property of Annise Connelly'. It's _Elle's_ book!"

"Elle is short for Annise?"

"Wha—no! This is hers from...don't you guys remember anything? She and her sisters came to visit back in August?"

"This elf brought her sisters to visit and stayed in these suites? These are reserved for Santa's guests only!"

"She was human at the time, so were her sisters."

Felicity gasped. "Human children at the Pole? Why on earth would Santa allow that? I think I'd _remember_ something that went so directly against the SOS."

"This...this is insane. This is crazy!" Bernard threw the book down, clutching at his head. "Why do none of you remember?" He tried to reach out to Elle mentally, but was met with only silence. A _dead_ silence that made his blood run cold. The end of their mental connection was lifeless, the glowing golden-silver thread devoid of warmth from her side.

"Hey boss? You might want to take a look at this." The elf furthest away was cleaning out the fireplace, and had stopped sweeping to examine something on the hearth. Bernard came over to find himself looking down at the charred remains of some sort of device. "Is that…?"

"A watch? Looks like it." Even in pieces the thing gave Bernard an eerie feeling, similar to the one he'd gotten from looking at the storm. He frowned, unable to shake the idea that this was somehow important. "Put it in a bag for me, will you? Every piece you can find."

"Even the melted ones?"

"Even those."

"You're treating this like it's a crime scene," Felicity noted with distaste, and Bernard turned on her with an eyebrow raised.

"Is that a problem?"

"Well I mean…"

"Because for all I know, it might be. Don't move _anything else_ in this room, understand? I want it untouched, besides the damage you've already done."

Felicity made an offended sound, but Bernard's mind was elsewhere. The elf on the hearth passed him a small clear plastic bag, filled with blackened and twisted parts. The head elf took it and tucked it safely in his bag, noting the slightly magical tingle in his hands that the wrecked device gave him. So it _was_ something of note. "I need to talk to Curtis," he murmured, leaving the room in horror. _This couldn't be happening_. _Everyone couldn't just_ forget _Elle overnight!_ Something had happened, something bad; and he got the terrible feeling it had to do with the earthquake that morning.

"Curtis!" Curtis shot up from the task he was working on, banging his head painfully on an overhead light at the sound of his superior's urgent voice.

"Bernard! I'm working as fast as I can to get us back on schedule, I promise!"

"What do you mean ' _back_ on schedule', we've been ahead of production for weeks."

"N-no we haven't?" Curtis squeaked timidly, Bernard's angry, confused and frustrated expression seeming very threatening. "We've been behind on the scooter boards and quite a few other projects for some time now, I've been keeping you updated? I'm running the few working ones through the pantograph as quickly as I'm able but these things are complicated, and the wiring gets fried sometimes…"

"Where is Elle?" The head elf demanded, hands on his hips.

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Elle! _Ellington Connelly._ Elf, my height, has a constant craving for coffee, usually wearing a green coat and can fix just about anything. Telepathic. Does _anybody_ know who I'm talking about?" The whole room fell into complete silence for a moment, before Curtis again spoke up.

"Wait...Miss Elle?"

" _Yes,"_ Bernard sighed, clearly relieved yet still completely frazzled.

Curtis was frowning in confusion. "How could I have forgotten Elle?"

"That's what I'd like to know too." He picked up a handheld game console, one he had clearly seen Elle fix and complete herself. The device was half disassembled, the cords a mangled mess. "And why is it beginning to look like she was never here?"

"It's because she never _was."_ Aloud, firm voice echoed in from the doorway, and they turned to find Father Time there, an expression of unadulterated anger on his face the likes of which Bernard had never seen.

"Father Time? I thought you weren't due back here until-"

"Where is Santa?" The legend demanded, leaning on his staff with a scowl. He didn't seem to be in the mood for idle talk.

"He was on the floor last time I checked."

"Fetch him, and meet me in his office," Father Time told Bernard without deliberation. "We need to talk-all three of us," he added, and Bernard's stomach sank impossibly lower.

"Right away." Something was going on, something _bad,_ and what worried Bernard most of all was that he had no idea where Elle was, or how to protect her.

With a whirl of his cloaks the man was gone, leaving the elf alone with his worries and no answers whatsoever. "Back to work," he told the remainder of the room before teleporting to wherever Scott was. He didn't have time to waste walking today.

* * *

"Someone has torn a serious hole in the multiverse."

This, of course, is a very bad way for any conversation to begin, but it was how Father Time addressed both Bernard and Scott once they were all safely within the study walls.

"The multiverse?" Scott asked, already at a loss not even ten seconds into the impromptu meeting. He took an uneasy seat at his desk, eyes flickering between Father Time and Bernard as though hoping either would explain what in the name of Christmas was going on.

"The interdimensional fabric linking all universes in all times ever existing," Father Time clarified, and Scott's look only darkened.

"Right. I didn't take quantum theory in college so would you mind putting that in layman's terms? Please?"

"The multiverse is...transcendent," Father Time said. "It exists beyond the boundaries of time and space as the rest of you can experience them. I however, exist on all planes of being simultaneously and can therefore sense disturbance in any of them. You have perhaps heard of the idea that there are an infinite number of universes, and that no two are alike?"

"It may have been run by me once or twice," Scott replied hesitantly, still barely holding on to the concept.

"This isn't a theory, but a fact. Another fact is that many of these universes, while not entirely identical, are _similar_ to our own in many ways."

"Parallel universes?"

"Precisely. Last night, from what I understand, _someone_ created a portal from our universe, to another parallel one. They melded the two, taking certain elements from one and leaving behind those from another. This has resulted in a new, _combined_ universe, that we are all experiencing now."

"You're telling me last night some random person essentially warped us to another dimension?" Scott asked in disbelief. After a hesitant pause, Father Time nodded.

"If I understand your lingo correctly, then yes. Though, they did a very poor job of it, resulting in the state of partial disorientation you're experiencing among the elves in the workshop, Bernard. Some remember Ellington, others do not- _except_ when excessively prompted," Father Time said, turning a pointed look on Bernard.

Maybe he had been a little harsh on Curtis, but given his state of frustration and worry it felt justified. He didn't feel like apologizing. "Hmm."

"If an expert such as myself or perhaps another Time Lord or Lady had done the procedure, there might have been fewer problems. This person was clearly unskilled in the Timely Arts."

"How? _How_ is this even possible?" Scott asked, bewildered. "How could someone have that much power if they don't even know how to wield it?"

"It's not a _who_ , it's a what. My pocket-watch, to be exact. An ancient artifact, which has among other functions the ability to join universes and destroy them entirely."

"Wait, you said a watch?" Bernard dug into his bag and found the small bag he'd put there earlier, the same unfamiliar tingle coming off the contents. He gave it to the Legend, and Father Time only took a glance at it before his eyes widened.

"This is it. Whoever used it apparently tried to get rid of the evidence."

"You keep that kind of power in your _pocket?"_ Santa said, sounding awed and a little alarmed.

"You have your own unlikely weapons, remember? You could store a house in that sack of yours, if you put your mind to it."

"Wow, really?"

"It'd be a stretch, but yes," Bernard chimed in, now sitting in an armchair—the same armchair he'd been sitting in, incidentally, as the last time he'd had to have a serious talk with Santa about Ellington. He sighed, growing impatient. "Look, all this metaphysical talk is great and everything, but I'm more concerned about where Elle is. Why is _she_ the person everyone is forgetting? Why didn't the rest of her siblings visit in this, I don't know, parallel universe we're now joined with?"

"Because if my understanding is correct, in the other universe there is no such thing as the Emissary Clause at all."

Bernard sat up straight, shock written all over his face. "You're joking."

"Regrettably, no. If my view of that universe is correct, you talked Bishop Nicholas _out_ of writing anything about you into the Handbook of Christmas. Besides that, the Connelly family is happy and healthy. There was no need for the girls to ever visit the North Pole."

"Unbelievable." The elf slumped back in his seat, utterly defeated. Having all hope ripped away from him made him appreciate just how much hope there had been for him and Elle the night before. But it was too late for that to matter anymore, wasn't it? "So, that's it. She doesn't even know I exist. There's no Clause, there's no…" His voice cracked and he hid his face in his hands. "There's no Elle, anymore. Just Ellington Connelly, who's never seen an elf in her life."

"In essence…I'm afraid so."

"Well then how do we put it back? How to we get back to things the way they were before?"

"We can't."

"Don't say that."

"It's true. Even if we could reverse what's been done, neither universe would be the same. And I can't undo this, because the watch has been broken."

"Aren't there other watches you could use? Doesn't anyone else have one of these?"

Father Time looked thoughtful. "Well, yes. But it has to be the same device that was used to _cause_ the problem, otherwise it would only create more issues with the universe. So you can see, my hands are tied."

Bernard remained silent, his gaze falling to the floor. Father Time's expression grew sympathetic, and whatever further explanation had been on his tongue he held it back and turned to Santa. "I'll be investigating the situation further," he said, his voice low. "But until I have more answers I think it's best if we go about things as normally as possible."

"And how do we do that?" Scott asked, still confused and a bit frightened by all of the intense science talk that had been dumped on him.

"Continue doing what you do best, Scott. Make Christmas happen. It's only two weeks away, after all." They both looked over to find Bernard staring into the fireplace, a fist clenched tight on the armrest of the chair.

"You can see into the future, right? Will he be okay?" Scott asked quietly, seriously concerned for his head elf and friend.

Father Time shrugged slightly. "I cannot say. It depends on the path he decides to take." He sighed, giving Santa a knowing look. "But for now, mood wise? Prepare for stormy weather."

"I can hear you both, you know."

Scott looked a little surprised, but still concerned. "Sorry, Bernard. I just know how much painful this must be for you and—"

"To be honest, I don't think I'm feeling it yet. I still can't quite wrap my head around the fact that she isn't going to come walking into the room and…" Bernard trailed off, eventually rising out of his seat and fixing Scott with an unreadable gaze. "I'm fine. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"was

"Positive. Don't worry about it."

"Alright then."

"But ah, Father Time?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you mind if I held onto that watch? You know, since it's all but useless now."

Father Time looked surprised. "I suppose, if you're sure that's what you want."

"I'm sure."

He passed the bag back to the elf, who quickly shoved it into his satchel without looking at it.

"And sir?"

"Yes?"

Bernard's expression darkened. "If you ever find out who did this, I have a few choice words for them."

He was telling the truth. He was still in a state of numb shock, where he couldn't quite believe she was truly gone for good. But he was forced to face it sooner than he'd wanted to. When he emerged from Santa's study and arrived back at the main floor, he found the elves milling about in confusion, murmuring amongst themselves.

"What's going on here?" The head elf demanded, and Judy was the first to approach him.

"That's what we were about to ask you. Something's going on, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes. But everything is under control, Father Time is working on resolving the situation."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Judy let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. How long do you think until Miss Elle gets back then?"

He froze. "What's that?"

"When is Elle coming back? That's what we're all worried about. She has her fingers in a lot of different pies and from what I've overheard, a lot of the department heads are pretty upset at the notion of her having disappeared."

Bernard remained silent, the first waves of realization hitting him.

"Bernard? Are you alright?"

He looked down at Judy, his expression grim. "I'm...fine," he repeated, out of habit this time. He didn't feel very fine. He didn't feel fine at all, but he didn't need the elves knowing that on top of the fact that Elle was not coming back.

So instead of losing his temper like he felt he wanted to, Bernard took a deep breath, forced a sad smile and told the truth.

"I'm afraid Elle won't be with us any longer."

* * *

'Stormy weather' didn't even _begin_ to cover the next year of Bernard's life. Yes, that's right; life went on at the North Pole, just as it always did, without Elle there. Her presence had been like a shooting star: showing up out of nowhere, burning brilliantly and beautifully and then, as quickly as she'd come, she'd faded into nothing.

The worst part was, he had so many memories of her that he couldn't forget, and all of the potential of what they could have been. What would have happened if they'd both woken up that morning and had the talk they'd been putting off? Would she had said yes to him? Could they have been happy together? The answer, he couldn't help but feel deep down where it hurt the most, was an overwhelming _yes_.

Not to say that he didn't manage to keep a wrap on things. For the most part, the normal yearly routine went on in the workshop as it always did. He didn't do the _worst_ job of concealing his upset-for the most part, everyone wondered at how collected he was in spite of the situation.

He definitely had his moments though, usually when he was alone. It was then that he really felt the loneliness that he used to be blind to, and his thoughts closed in on him. One of the things that plagued his mind most often was the unanswered question of who was responsible for this situation. He'd gone to Santa numerous times since last December, posing the theory that Jack Frost was to blame. Who else had more motive to do this than Jack did, who had been so convinced that Elle was better off on her own? Maybe he'd brought her around to wanting a way out, and had given it to her. Regardless, he'd certainly made himself scarce since it had happened.

While Santa also held his suspicions and mostly agreed with Bernard's idea, he decided not to share it with Father Time. This decision had led to several heated arguments between Scott and his head elf, who was convinced the information was relevant and a good lead for the other legend to chase down. Scott had been forced to remind him that Father Time was difficult to get in contact with, even more so after the event in December. He told Bernard to leave it alone, as difficult as that was, because the less invested he was in the whole thing the easier it would be to heal.

This left Bernard feeling rather brushed off, so he took a certain level of action into his own hands. He hadn't intended to at first, of course. If the boss said leave it alone, he should have done just that. But then Elle's birthday rolled around—he'd made note of it before, not wanting to forget something as important as her eighteenth birthday—and when it did his curiosity piqued once again. He _wanted_ to know if she was okay. He _wanted_ to know if she was finally happy.

It started with whatever Elf Intelligence could dig up for him online. He told them to keep it hush, and they understood without too much explanation. It seemed that the Connelly family was very different from how they'd been before. For one thing, they much better off financially; both parents were healthy and had successful businesses to the point where they didn't seem to have to worry about money at all. They didn't live in Hawaii anymore, though it seemed they kept a summer house there; their main residence was in Seattle. All three sisters were in the family, everyone seemed to be healthy and Elle...well, _Ellington._ She was as brilliant as ever, and now even more out of reach.

The few photos and little information he had seen showed a quirky, intelligent youth who always exceeded expectations—which wasn't a change. She also seemed to be accompanied by a blonde girl, bigger than her until her teens so more than likely older, who wasn't a sister. A friend, perhaps? They seemed very close. Over the past few years though, there seemed to be less and less information about Ellington to be had. She'd graduated early at fifteen and had attended two years at the University of Washington, but after that, she seemed to have dropped out. The trail went cold, and she seemed to have become very private.

It made him wonder what had happened, to throw her from the path she'd chosen. Nothing indicated she'd gone a bad way, though rich families did seem to be good at concealing those kinds of things. Ellington had never seemed to be the misdemeanor type before, but was she now? He found himself worrying, even though it was really none of his business. He wondered what her life was like, now that she was an adult. Did she have lots of friends? Did she have...someone? Even though it was completely ludicrous, Bernard couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at that thought. For all he knew, at her age, she could have someone keeping her warm every night. The idea always made him want to have a strong drink each time it occurred to him.

And that was perhaps the most surprising part: that he wasn't bouncing back from the loss. He'd expected to be able to let go, be glad that she was living a better life that was comfortable and healthy and gave her a bright future, even if he didn't get to be in it. For the first time, he had a true understanding of what she'd been going through after she'd become an elf. Just because the person you loved was happier didn't mean that your own pain was less.

If anybody asked though, he was still just as "fine" as he'd been that first day. Not even Carol could convince him to open up, which made her very worried and in turn Scott. It left a strange sense of uncertainty and nobody was really comfortable with it. But there was nothing to be done, short of an intervention, and since they had no good solutions or real comfort to give that idea as rather pointless.

Maybe it mattered. More than likely, it didn't. But for the first time, something inside him was different. He was working himself hard enough to stay distracted, everything was as it had always been, and he should have been fine. But there was an emptiness in him that he couldn't fill, couldn't plug up with anything that mattered. It honestly surprised him how quickly he had learned to care for Elle, and how long it was taking him to stop. It didn't feel natural, like he should have been able to shake off his own emotions on the subject, but...somehow, he just couldn't.

Spring turned to Summer, and Summer faded to Autumn. Ironically, the workshop needed Elle as much as he did, because his attitude was bringing morale down in a way that only she could have turned around. Scott knew better than to reprimand him though. He knew all too well how it felt to wake up in a universe where the woman you loved didn't even know your name. He had just been luckier than Bernard, and had found his way back.

It was around August that Father Time first appeared again. Bernard caught sight of him leaving Santa's study, looking rather secretive before vanishing before the elf could even think to approach him. He wasted no time going to Santa himself, since he already had a series of forms for him to approve, but no sooner had he made it in the door that Scott was reading his mind.

"You saw him, didn't you?"

Bernard hesitated a long moment as if deciding whether to lie or not before simply nodding. Scott sighed and dragged a hand down his face, looking tired.

"Before you ask, _yes_ it has to do with Ellington."

"Really." Bernard tried to play down his intrigue but ended up looking worried instead.

"Yes. Apparently, she's not entirely as uninvolved here as we thought she was. According to Father Time, we all had some sort of a meeting about ten or so years back. He called it a Summit, have you heard of it?"

"Of course. It's a meeting of all Legendary Figures and their selected Legates," the elf replied, his expression only growing more concerned. "But I don't remember you attending a Summit ten years ago. That would have been shortly after you and Carol were married, right?"

"Apparently. He also told me that Jack didn't show to the meeting."

Bernard's expression darkened. "Why am I not surprised." He huffed and crossed his arms, scowling out from under his fringe of curls. "Santa, I warned you this had Frost's fingerprints all over it."

"Yes, and I told _you_ that with Jack all but vanished, there was nothing we could do," Scott replied levelly, raising an eyebrow at the head elf's tone. He laced his hands together and rested them atop his stomach. "It seems, however, that the Council and its Legates all came to that same agreement: that Jack was the cause of the problem, and Father Time was able to explain why—and how Ellington was involved _and_ affected by it."

"So they knew, even though there was never an Emissary Clause. They knew she needed to be looked out for."

"It seems so. It also seems like they came to the conclusion that something needed to be done about it. To that effect, Father Time tells me they sent one of the Legates to watch over Ellington, just in case Jack came back and tried to cause anymore damage."

"They sent a Legate to babysit her?"

"Not in as many words. From the looks of things they seem to have become friends."

The girl with the pale blonde hair and blue eyes sprang to Bernard's mind, the situation beginning to make more sense—only off the top of his head, he couldn't think of any Legate that looked like that. "That's actually a weight off my mind," he admitted, but Santa's expression made him reconsider. "Or...is it? What aren't you telling me?"

Scott turned a little red around the edges, clearing his throat several times.

" _Santa."_

" _Okay,_ okay. But you're probably not going to like it." He slid a file across the table, and Bernard came closer to pick it up and take a closer look.

"They sent Jack's Legate."

"Jacqueline?" Bernard quickly scanned through the record and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, I was worried they'd sent Aphrodite or some nonsense like that."

"Wha—what do you mean 'thank goodness'? I thought you'd be horrified! They sent Jack's seasonal _counterpart._ After the way you've been trying to convince me this is all Jack's fault, isn't that the worst decision?"

"Realistically? No. If Jacqueline is watching over Elle than she's as safe as she can be. Jack wouldn't come within a hundred miles of Jacqueline if he can help it. There's a lot of bad history between them...it's in his best interest to stay away."

Scott seemed to be piecing the situation together, but still looked skeptical. "So you're saying you trust this Jacqueline person?"

"Believe it or not she's really only like her brother in powers only. The two couldn't be more different. So yeah, I do trust her. In fact I'm actually really glad that she's involved. I can rest a little easier knowing that if something went wrong, she would let us know."

"If you insist, I'll have to take your word for it."

Knowing that there was someone magical looking out for Elle _did_ bring him some kind of relief, but it also made him anxious. It felt as if they were _waiting_ for something to go wrong, _waiting_ for Jack to do something else that would cause even more chaos, and that idea was highly unsettling.

It became apparent just how true that was when the first week of December rolled around, and with it the one year anniversary of Elle's departure. With it came something they'd all hoped to never see again: the storm.

It began with a tremor, and then a shudder, and then the lights in the workshop began to sway. There was a loud bump as of something hitting the roof, and then, a long distant clap of thunder. Bernard immediately made a beeline through the crowd of murmuring, worried elves to the outside doors, pushing his way out onto the landing beyond. There, in the hills outside of Elfsburg, was the same telltale grey-black clouds that had hung there the year before.

"What is _that?"_

"We're not supposed to have storms up here, the Cap protects us doesn't it?"

"Isn't this something Jack Frost should have prevented?"

"This is bad!"

"Are we even safe here?"

"Everybody, back inside!" Bernard ordered, turning round and waving his hands to get their attention. "Until we know what's going on everyone should stay indoor—" His sentence was cut off by another moderate earthquake that had the doors rattling on their hinges. Without further encouragement the elves all retreated into the workshop, not needing any other sign that it wasn't safe outside.

Before Bernard could join them though, Santa emerged from the workshop against the flow of the crowd. coming to lean against the balcony railing with the head elf.

"What's going o—oh." Santa looked out at the clouds, his expression growing alarmed. "I though Father Time said the storm wasn't coming back!"

"Well apparently he was wrong! What else can you call this?"

"This...this is bad. This is way worse than before. What the hell is going on?"

A flash of blue light in the courtyard caught their attention before Bernard could answer, an independently minded cloud of snowflakes materializing.

"Do you think it's…" Bernard began.

"Jack?" Santa finished, calling out tentatively to the cloud as the flakes settled. When the figure turned around though, it wasn't Jack at all. Instead, it was a very flustered looking winter sprite with platinum blonde hair and a surprisingly modern sense of style.

"Santa! Bernard!" The young woman replied, urgency in her eyes. "Thank heavens I made it here in one piece. We need to talk." She began climbing the stairs quickly, her mannerisms all business.

"About what?" Bernard asked, though he feared he already knew the reason.

Jacqueline looked at him as if he were being absurd, which perhaps he was in a way. "Elle, of course? Who else? We should hurry though. I don't think have a lot of time—and neither does she."

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	18. Chapter 18

_18_.

The blustery courtyard obviously was a terrible place for their conversation, so Santa quickly led both Bernard and Jacqueline towards his study. The elves still seemed to be a bit shaken up, but at Bernard's prompting they returned to their various tasks without too much fuss. He told them they were safe indoors, and that was enough for the time being as it seemed Jack's Legate had arrived—perhaps to solve the problem?

Jacqueline was following Scott's rather brisk pace, a curious look on her face. It was only when they made it into the safety of the study that she finally voiced her question. "You really don't remember me, do you Santa?"

Scott eyed her for a long moment before sighing and running a hand over his beard. "I'm sorry, but no. I assume we met at the Summit a ways back?"

Jacqueline nodded, giving a little shrug. "It's okay, Father Time warned me that some things would get a little squirrelly at this point. But for the sake of things…" She smiled, dropping into a bit of a curtsey. "The name is Jacqueline Frost, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She gave a little shrug. "You know. _Again."_

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Jacqueline." Scott found himself smiling in spite of himself. The sprite seemed nice enough, and didn't have Jack's over-the-top attitude. Maybe Bernard was right about her being a good thing, after all. "Please, make yourself comfortable. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about."

Jacqueline nodded again, unable to keep her eyes from the window. "Wow, Father Time was right about this nasty old thing making a comeback, wasn't he?" she said, letting out a low whistle at the accumulating cloud bank beyond Elfsburg as she took a seat on the sofa.

"What do you mean, he was right?" Scott asked, his other pressing questions behind set aside for the moment. Jacqueline looked up at Santa in mild surprise before she remembered that he was still probably forgetting some things.

"That's right, you're a little slim on the details from the Summit. We were all warned that it was likely that there would be some 'unexplainable' things going on, staring around this time last year. It _is_ coming up on a year since the Event, right?" Met with blank faces, Jacqueline sighed, pulling her gloves off.

"The Event. You know, the 'thing' that Jack did to mess everything up? Again? Like he's prone to doing." She narrowed her eyes in irritation, her lips an unhappy line before she continued. "Anyway, it was at the Summit that I was assigned to watchdog duty. Father Time kinda gave us a heads up that things might get a bit out of hand this particular Christmas. I didn't understand why, until a few months ago."

"What happened a few months ago?" Bernard asked, trying not to seem too eager. Truth be told Jacqueline had gotten to be close to Elle in a way that he was envious of at the moment, and it was taking every ounce of patience in him not to change the subject and ask all of the questions he had instead of listening to her explanations.

"I got a letter from grandmother—Mother Nature," she explained, just in case Santa wasn't caught up on that fact. But Scott, who had already heard Jack refer to her as "grandmother" before, wasn't really fazed, and gave an understanding nod so that Jacqueline would go on. "The letter finally explained the mystery we've been puzzling over all these years: _how_ Jack managed to cause such a problem and _why_ Father Time had been so upset about it. I mean, it's obviously not the first time Jack's overstepped his legendary boundaries, but taking the Watch? Even Time Lords have a difficult time using it correctly. Trying to use it on his own without expecting consequences was just _stupid."_

"Or maybe he did expect them. We certainly haven't seen any sign of him since last year," Scott pointed out, and Jacqueline looked dissatisfied before nodding again.

"He's been keeping up on his duties, but somehow remaining undetectable. It's really been baffling us just _how,_ but that isn't really what's most important." She looked down at her coat and shoes thoughtfully. It felt a little odd to be back in magical territory and still in her human clothing rather than her usual formal wear, but she wasn't complaining—at least, not _aloud_. There wasn't time for that kind of nonsense.

"I suppose it's possible he knew the storm would be back. It certainly isn't like him to hide after he pulls something of this magnitude—I think we can all agree that he likes the attention, but this seems to be something he wants to stay hush hush about. It's all very confusing. But back on track. On my end of things, Elle started acting up around the same week the letter arrived. Talk about bad timing."

"Acting up?" Bernard asked, and although Jacqueline let out a long suffering sigh, she couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah. That kid's a real interesting one. I was sent down to keep an eye on her when she was seven or so. At first I thought I was just going to be watching over her, but then I realized how much trouble she gets herself into and decided to take matters into my own hands. Luckily, we've been friends ever since."

"Sound like things worked out well," Scott mused, stroking his beard with a thoughtful expression. He cast his eyes over to Bernard to see the elf practically on the edge of his seat, hanging onto everything Jacqueline was saying. He couldn't help but smirk at the sight, clearing his throat slightly.

"I'll admit it was interesting to grow up alongside her. Well I mean, I _say '_ grow up' _._ You know my age isn't even _close_ to nineteen."

"More like nineteen _hundred,"_ Bernard pointed out, and Jacqueline couldn't help but grin.

"Close enough! Until this year, my age has been an illusion for the sake of this disguise. Now at least , I can finally look myself again—minus the frosty appearance. That would have given me away pretty quickly." She couldn't help but smirk at the idea. "Anyway, the aging wasn't the problem." She turned her attention to Santa himself. "I'm sure you're well familiar with the effects of 'growing up' and how it affects humans ability to believe in magic?"

"Quite. A good portion of our business depends on it," Scott agreed with a hum.

"Then you may or may not be surprised to hear that that isn't something Elle's been prone to."

"She lets you call her Elle?" Bernard asked, which was a bit of a random question. Jacqueline frowned slightly.

"Yeah, everyone calls her Elle except for her parents. Ellington is a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?"

This seemed to sour Bernard's mood quite a bit, though she couldn't understand why. "Anyway, she just hasn't grown out of believing like most kids do. It's cute, if you don't think about it too much. Seems harmless enough too. But then, last September, things took a turn for the weird."

"Go on." It was clear that the head elf was _trying_ to stay casual, but his interest was simply too much to hide. Jacqueline couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled at the sight of him so affected, since it certainly wasn't like the Bernard _she_ knew. It did, however, cause her to start forming a theory on just why he was so intrigued.

"You might not believe me when I say this, but she woke up one morning with _powers_. Like fully functioning, telepathic and telekinetic powers. We're talking mind reading, object manipulation, mental projection, the works. One by one she discovered them and after a few weeks of freaking out, figured out how to use them. _That_ was a process, I tell you what. I've never seen any human just go to sleep one night perfectly normal and wake up the next morning with a full range of telepathic and telekinetic powers, have you?"

"Only once," Santa admitted, and he and Bernard shared a look. The 'once' had been Ellington herself, of course.

"By then it was obvious that the shenanigans Father Time had been hinting at were finally coming into play. So I wrote grandmother back, telling her what had happened. Her reply didn't have a lot of answers for me as to why this was happening to Elle, but she did tell me not to give up on her. Apparently this was normal, and probably had to do with why Father Time thought Elle needed to be protected. You know, _besides_ the obvious—the obvious being Jack."

"That sounds likely."

"And I believed it too, but that didn't help the main issue. Once she became gifted, her belief became something more: an unwavering conviction that magic was real. I can't talk her out of it, no one can. It's gotten so serious that she's convinced she can find people like her if she looks hard enough, and that idea made her drop out of school. Her parents weren't too happy about that."

"I'll bet." Scott leaned forward on his desk, intrigued. "So what _has_ she been up to?"

"Traveling mostly, searching for answers. She's told everyone that she's taking a gap year—even though I argued that isn't usually done in the _middle_ of your college education." She rolled her eyes at the idea. "Then earlier this summer she just up and left for Maine, with no explanations. The oddest thing about it was that wherever she went, I couldn't follow her. I mean I literally _couldn't,_ even when I tried to teleport."

"Where did you end up?"

"In the middle of nowhere. Some highway backroad with no visible towns for miles in any direction. Talk about shady."

"That does sound suspicious. Any ideas of what she was chasing?"

"Besides answers? No idea. She still won't tell me. All I know is that she's coming home tomorrow and that supposedly, she's finally got the piece of the puzzle she's missing. That's why I'm worried." Jacqueline sat up straight, worry written all over her face. "She might mean have good intentions, but what if she exposes the magical world?"

"Do you really think she's that close?"

"I have no idea! That's why I'm so concerned, that why I came here. I mean it's been one thing to be her friend and keep her out of harm's way, but I don't feel like I'm able to do that when she's being this...I don't know, unruly? I mean she's never been the wayward type, so this is a bit out of her playbook. I don't know what's going on, I don't know how to do my job anymore and I want—no, _need_ backup."

"I'm curious as to why she's so obsessed with _magic_. Telepathy and telekinesis doesn't usually fall under that category," Scott wondered aloud, and Bernard couldn't help but let out a soft amused snort. "What is it, Number One? Something about this _funny_ to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Seeing both Jacqueline and Scott with puzzled faces Bernard groaned. "Oh come on! She's _remembering_ , can't you see? That's why she's trying so hard to find magic. She's trying to get back _here."_

"I'm sure that's a comforting _idea,_ Bernard," Scott began, when Jacqueline cut him off.

"Wait a second. Sorry to interrupt, Santa, but let me get this straight: you're telling me Elle _used_ to be here?"

"Yes."

"Last year?"

"In a way. It's complicated, but the long story short is that Elle became an elf and was here just this time last year. She was my Number Two elf, in fact, a huge asset to the workshop, and a general pleasure to have around. But things got" —he cast a look at Bernard, choosing his words carefully— " _complicated,_ and we believe that Jack used the Watch to create a way out of the situation."

"Holy snowballs. Okay, besides the fact that Elle was with me last December and couldn't have been two places at once, I'll take your word for it. But did she _want_ a way out? Why did Jack send her away?" Jacqueline asked, an unreadable expression on her face.

"We honestly have no idea. The only two people who would know are Jack —who we haven't seen since— and Ellington herself."

"If that's true, then maybe Bernard is right. Maybe she is remembering. Maybe something—or some _one—_ is pulling her back." Jacqueline grinned at Bernard, not bothering to pretend that she didn't sense what had happened. Scott seemed to catch onto this as well, rising from his seat and telling them that he was going to inform Carol of what was going on with the storm. "It'll give Bernard some time to catch you up," he explained in spite of the elf's protests.

"If you don't mind, sir—"

"I _do_ mind, in fact. No one can explain this better than you." With that said, Scott excused himself to Jacqueline and left the elf and sprite alone.

* * *

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you've figured out my deepest darkest secret or something."

"Have I?"

"It...depends on how you look at it."

"And if I look at it with both eyes and a great deal of conviction?"

" _Jacqueline…"_

"Just asking." Jacqueline held up her hands in defense before dissolving into chuckles and leaning back into the sofa. "So, you finally caught feelings for somebody, huh B-Man? Didn't know you had it in you."

"Neither did I, to be honest. But you know Elle better than I do. Can you blame me?"

"Not really. She's a good kid—well, _was_ a good kid. I _guess_ she's a woman now, though it's hard for me to see her that way when she's still such a child at heart." Jacqueline scooted a little closer to Bernard on the sofa, her curiosity winning out over her manners. "What _happened_ between you two? Santa seemed really hesitant to discuss it, which makes me wonder...well, a lot of things really. How serious was it? And how on _earth_ did she end up an elf?"

"It _is_ a long story," Bernard said, and Jacqueline groaned.

"Is that Bernard speak for you don't want to tell me? Because that sounds like Bernard speak for you don't want to tell me."

"Maybe, in a sense," he admitted. "I haven't exactly talked about what happened last year with anyone."

"Well I'm all ears, if you do feel like getting it off your chest."

Knowing that it would probably be a good ten or more minutes until Scott came back (and that his boss wouldn't be happy to find he'd held back the details,) Bernard figured he might as well tell her and bring her up to speed on the whole story. When he'd finished, Jacqueline seemed equal parts confused, surprised and saddened.

"You're telling me that Elle straight up _gave up_ her family to save Phil's life, became an elf, found out you had feelings for her and _then_ found out that she was engaged to you? _That's_ what got us here?"

"Yes," Bernard agreed with a hesitant tilt of his head. "Mostly. I've been thinking and it only makes sense that all of these things contributed to why Jack felt justified in intervening. I knew he thought I was a bad influence on her, but I never could have guessed he'd go this far with it."

"Oh, and _he wasn't_ a bad influence _?"_ Jacqueline scoffed, shaking her head at her brother's predictable arrogance. "What a hypocrite. Typical behavior for him, though. He is awfully good at sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."

"That's what I was saying! But the council _did_ assign him as her mentor so how I felt about it didn't really matter."

"So that's how it happened. Elle's romantic life shouldn't have mattered to Jack, but here we are." Clearly unhappy with the entire tale, Jacqueline turned her focus back onto the details. "I hate to mention it but Jack's behavior aside, Elle must've been really overwhelmed. And it's beginning to make sense to me why her telepathy appeared last September. That's when she originally developed it, right?"

"That's right," Bernard said, realizing where she was going with her train of thought.

"Last Christmas was unnaturally difficult, come to think of it. The holidays are usually pretty festive and happy in the Connelly household but last year, Ellington was really difficult to be around. She was touchy—everything either set her off on a rant or ended in tears—and none of us could tell why. After the holidays she went quiet and began her 'quest after magic' or whatever you want to call it. Chasing some sort of invisible train of leads. Regardless, the fact that she thinks she's getting close coinciding with this storm returning has got me thinking it's all related."

"You know, you might be onto something here." Bernard got up and went over behind Santa's desk, rooting around on one of the bookshelves before coming away with a record book. "If I remember correctly, the storm showed up around Ellington's seventeenth birthday. I didn't think that was notable until you mentioned coincidences. Back when I was dealing with my side of the Clause, there were a lot of seventeens floating around. The seventeenth of December was the day the timelines crossed. Seventeen weeks was how long the girls were here. Seventeen years prior was when my ring box showed up…" he fell silent for a moment, looking upset before continuing. "Of course, that box vanished after both the Emissary Clause and Elle were gone."

"A ring box? Like for an engagement ring?" Jacqueline looked confused for a moment before realization sunk in. She smacked a palm to her forehead. "Holy _hell,_ I'm dense! This pretending to be a teenager all over again must have made me slow or something. You already told me, this Clause had you two _betrothed_. That's quite literally an arranged marriage, right?"

"Well, I mean, it could have been. But we were still deciding what to do about the whole situation—I think we were both a bit spooked, really. Either one of us could have rejected the betrothal and broken the whole Clause off any time we felt like it." Bernard set the book down on Santa's desk, flipping forward a few pages. "I was pretty sure she wanted out of it though, so I was about to suggest we call the whole thing off. But then everything went sideways and I never had the chance."

"Do you think she really wanted that?" Jacqueline had to wonder just how far this 'fling' Elle had had with the head elf had gone. "What made you so sure that she didn't want to be with you? Ooh, were the feelings one-sided?" She visibly cringed, drawing back. "I've seen her let down a few people and it's never pretty."

Bernard felt an odd little pang of satisfaction at the idea of Ellington turning other people down. "I can't say it was pretty regardless. But…" he hesitated. "We had our good moments. Some were downright _great,_ actually, and I know she felt the same way I did, it just…" Staring down at the book didn't seem to help him find the words he was searching for.

"I...I'm really sorry to hear that things didn't work out." It really was remarkable how different from her older brother Jacqueline really was. She had all of the sincerity and genuine kindness he seemed to lack most times. It wasn't hard for her to see how his expression had softened at mention of the good times and there was a tenderness in his eyes that was downright surprising. The Bernard she knew didn't just have that look on his face at the mention of just any girl. He really had felt something for Elle, and he _missed_ it—missed _her_. Call it womanly intuition if you wish, but Jacqueline was able to sort all of that out in a matter of moments.

"It's my fault," Bernard said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I rushed her. She was fresh out of so much loss and trauma and I was impatient."

"To be fair, you don't exactly have a lot of experience with relationships, do you?"

Bernard scoffed softly. "No, but I wasn't born yesterday. Anyone who's experienced a recent loss would act the same way she did and I was just too blind to see that. It was stupid of me, and that's taking into account how I was going to just about everyone I could think of for advice. Scott and Carol were as helpful as they could be, and god only knows that Cupid was shoving advice down my throat from the moment he knew about the Clause."

"That can't have been pleasant."

" _Hardly._ But in the end, the decisions were on me, and I still bungled up the whole thing."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Bernard," Jacqueline said, kicking her feet up on the coffee table. "I mean, I'm Elle's best friend nowadays and I can tell you for a _fact_ that that girl isn't good with her emotions. If you were coming onto her strong then she probably didn't know what to do with it. She's a little clueless romance wise."

"I know. We talked about it and both agreed that we're novices to relationships. It was probably one of the only things we could agree about, really.."

"So you see? It isn't all on you that things were difficult. At least fifty percent of it was on her—especially since it seems like she was the one keeping you at arm's length."

"She said she thought I could find someone better," Bernard replied, and Jacqueline immediately laughed out loud.

"Yeah, that sounds like Ellington alright." She leaned her head back on the couch and stared up at the gilded ceiling. "She's a dear most of the time but man, can she make things complicated."

"Tell me about it." Bernard looked back down at the book in his hands, noticing for the first time two sheets of folded paper between the pages. They were thick, almost parchment like, and as soon as he'd thought that his heart leapt.

"No way."

"What is it?"

Distracted by the sudden newfound hope, the elf ignored Jacqueline's question and kept his attention on the two documents, fingers fumbling in his haste to open them. His stomach leapt into his throat at the sight of the contents as Jacqueline came to look over his shoulder.

"Some sort of contract?"

"Not just any contract. This is the contract that made Elle an elf and this one, is for her job." He stared down at the pieces of paper in his hand. "I had no idea they made it through the incident."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Brown eyes met blue ones.

"This is why Elle is remembering. She's still bound to the Pole, and to the Workshop itself."

"Bingo. So how do we fix it, and get this storm out of Santa's backyard hmm?"

Bernard's gaze brightened. "Well there's only one thing for it, really."

"Oh?"

"Yes." He refolded the pages decisively. "She'll just have to come back and decide if she wants to be here or not."

"But after what I told you, about her searching for magic? About how desperate she is to find it? You know she'll want to stay, don't you."

Bernard smiled, and it made Jacqueline worry even more. "I can only hope so."

* * *

"No. No, absolutely _not."_

" _But Santa—"_

"Don't "but Santa" me, Bernard. You _know_ this is a ridiculous idea."

"It wasn't ridiculous when the Emissary Clause was involved!"

"Yes! Because the Emissary Clause _protected_ us against exposure, it _protected_ the SOS. There were safeguards. But it isn't wise to bring a human here to the Pole on a trial basis! What if she decides to tear up her contracts and leave, hmm? Then we'll have a real pickle on our hands."

"But she's _not_ just _any human_. She's _Elle_ , and you bring your family up here all the time—even _Carol's_ family. Santa, please. I'm begging you to reconsider—"

"You really want to take this kind of risk, with this storm back and everything? With Christmas coming up in two weeks? You're not thinking straight, Bernard, it isn't like you to suggest something this radical."

"Yeah! Okay, maybe it's radical. So _what._ If Carol were separated from you by force, wouldn't you do the radical thing if it meant bringing her back? Bringing her _home?"_

"Carol is my _wife,_ and Elle's home is in Seattle, Number One."

"It wasn't always."

Scott eyed Bernard carefully. "It's not like you to be this stubbornly in favor of a bad idea. Being in the suit this long has taught me that if you're not acting as the voice of logic and reason, something is seriously wrong. Does this have to do with what Jacqueline told you?"

"In part, but it also has to do with the contracts themselves. Santa, we don't have a choice. She's still sworn in to being an elf, to being _your_ Number Two. It's why she's searching for magic, why she feels something is missing. We have to inform her, even if we don't bring her here."

"So we have Jacqueline tell her. She's the one who's her best friend, right?"

Bernard looked nonplussed. "You really think she'll believe her best friend telling her a tale this tall?"

"If she shows off her ice powers she might. Jacqueline does have ice powers, right?"

"She _is_ Jack's Legate you know."

"Well there you have it!"

"It's not fair to put all of this on Jacqueline."

"I don't know about that, but it seems to me you're making this whole situation more of a problem than it is."

"It seems to me that I'm the only one who cares if Elle ever comes _back!"_

"Maybe you are!"

That made Bernard jump, shock written onto his face. Scott sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Bernard, listen. I'm not stupid, I _know_ it's hard to let go. But you need to understand: she's _happier_ where she is now. Regardless of _why_ Jack did what he did, the end result put Elle in a better place. Do you really want to take her from her family? _Again?_ "

"Is she really happy when she's spending every waking moment trying to find her way back here?" Bernard shook his head firmly, clasping his hands behind his back. "I'm sorry sir, but I can't agree with you. I just can't."

"Are you sure this doesn't have to do with the fact that you _miss her_?"

"Of course it has to do with...are you holding that against me?"

"Only if it's impairing your judgment."

"And when does love _not_ impair your judgment."

Scott's lips tilted upward in a smile. "So you _are_ still in love with her."

Bernard remained silent for a long few seconds, just staring at his boss. "You already knew that," he said at last, sounding vaguely annoyed before glancing away.

"Yeah I did. If your mood this year has been any indication, you've been pining."

"I have _not._ I've just been...failing at recovering. That's all."

"Mhmm. I also think that just maybe, you're curious to see if Ellington will fall in love with you now that she doesn't have all of that trauma on her shoulders. Am I right or am I right?"

"There's no _way_ you came up with that idea on your own, Santa."

Scott shrugged. "Carol might have suggested it a few months ago, in passing."

"Right. _Great._ Has my behavior been that much of a topic for conversation?"

"Just a bit. I'm sure if you asked around the workshop you'd be sure to get your handful of theories."

Bernard was about to lose his temper when he realized that wasn't going to suit his purpose. "I'm not giving in on this, just because you distract me."

"So what are you _actually_ proposing we do? Since obviously, bringing her North right now is a terrible idea."

The elf let out a slight hiss of impatience. "If you _insist_ that it's a terrible idea—"

"I do."

"—then it leaves me with the only other viable option. I go there."

Scott squinted, as if he were calling Bernard's bluff. "You're going to leave the workshop."

"Yes."

"Now."

"Mhmm."

"Mid- _December?"_

"It would seem so."

Neither Scott nor Bernard broke their staring contest for several long seconds. Then, finally, Scott threw up his hands.

"Alright, fine. But you've _got_ leave someone other than Curtis in charge—"

"Quentin should do quite well."

"—keep in touch so that we know if we should expect any other problems—"

"If I'm able to tell you ahead of time, I will."

"—and Bernard." Scott grew very serious. "No matter what happens, no matter what comes up or how involved you're getting: I need you _here_ , Christmas Eve. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

"Alright, then I guess you'd better tell Jacqueline that you're tagging along."

Bernard nodded, suddenly being struck with the reality of the situation. This was happening. He was going to see Elle again, and while she might not remember now, there was a possibility that she eventually might. "Thank you, sir."

"And Bernard?"

"Yes?"

Scott smiled in spite of himself at the sight of the head elf's hopeful expression. "Good luck."

* * *

"So, you're gonna try to blend in as a human too?"

"You seem surprised," Bernard replied, locking the door to his house and picking up his bag from the stoop. He'd already gone through the motions of informing Quentin of his new _temporary_ promotion and warning (well, to be honest, _threatening)_ Curtis to not cause any sort of catastrophe while he was away. Now, dressed in his most plain and least elven clothing, he rejoined Jacqueline Frost, who was leaning beside the front door with interest.

"Just a little. I mean, subtlety is one way to go."

"What would _you_ have me do, show up sporting pointed shoes and ears and expect my appearance to do the explaining?"

The sprite chuckled at the thought. "That's not _quite_ what I meant, but point taken. I just assumed you'd be way more reluctant to blend in."

"Don't know where you got that idea." Bernard shrugged. "This is no time to be careless, after all, and if she's as eager to latch onto any proof she can find of magic then I need to keep things under wraps for at least a few days." He looked at the blonde sideways. "Say, how have you been hiding your magic from her, anyway? Winter magic isn't particularly subtle, either."

Jacqueline grinned. "I was wondering when you'd ask. It's not easy, I'll admit. Here, maybe I should tell you after we travel?"

"Sounds good."

"Right. You can stay at my place, for the time being. There's no point in putting you up in a hotel when my house is just a block away and has _much_ better decor." It took a little bit of sorting out but they eventually managed to successfully teleport to Jacqueline's place. She did the teleporting, which made the trip very quick and _very chilly,_ but luckily it was quick and her aim was good. They arrived on her doorstep in a matter of moments, materializing in a swirl of snowflakes that Bernard had to brush out from behind his ears afterwards.

"This is your place?"

Jacqueline nodded, fitting a key into the lock. "Yep, this is all mine. Pretty sweet, huh?"

"It's a bit big for just you, isn't it?" Bernard looked up and down the street at the rest of the rather imposing estates and wondered at the change in the Connelly family's fortunes if this was their neighborhood.

"Hey, your house is roomy for just you, but you didn't hear me saying anything about it! Besides, I needed the guest rooms for if the family comes to visit." She pushed open the door, revealing a foyer that opened up into an impeccably decorated sitting room. The entire place was well lit from the windows and the fact that most of the furniture was in shades of blue and white. Bernard raised an eyebrow at the sight of it.

"You sure you've been subtle enough? This place screams 'winter', from those curtains to that ridiculous rug."

"Hey, I like that rug. It's soft as heck," Jacqueline said defensively, faking insult. She gestured around vaguely at the room as she removed her coat. "Besides, Josie helped me decorate this place. That's reason enough for Elle not to be suspicious."

"Josie?"

"Sorry, sorry. Her mother, Josette. Phil and Josie, that's what I call Mr. and Mrs. Connelly."

"I'm sure they _love_ that."

"Eh, they've learned to cope with it. We get along well enough that it's never become a problem, and at any rate, they're certainly not _my_ elders." Jacqueline pulled off her boots and hung her coat on an ornate rack before leading the way towards a wide, iron-railed staircase. "Come on, I'll show you to your room before I give you the tour of the rest of the house."

She led him down a wide, light blue corridor to the very last of a series of guest rooms. "I can't say it's as warm and homey as the colors you're used to at the Pole, but it's still cozy," Jacqueline said, stepping aside to reveal a bedroom done up mostly in varying shades of white and off-white. "Feel free to make any changes you want while you're here. There's no ban on magic in _my_ house—well, as long as there aren't any humans around."

"Particularly Elle," Bernard pointed out, taking a tentative seat on the bed as Jacqueline leaned in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Yeah. Say, about that. How exactly are you planning on getting close to her again? You know, since you two are strangers here and all."

"I thought you could help me. You are her best friend, right?"

Jacqueline seemed a little anxious for a moment before shaking her head sharply and smiling. "Of course."

"Then this should be a piece of cake."

A snort of laughter came from the doorway.

"Why is that funny?"

"Nothing, you just have an awful lot of confidence for someone who had a very _complicated_ relationship with the _same girl_ you're going after now," Jacqueline pointed out. "Are you sure you're not getting ahead of yourself with all that certainty, B-Man?"

"If _I_ don't have some belief in this situation, then no one will," the elf replied firmly. He did wonder if she was right, though. Was he getting ahead of himself? Was this truly a fool's errand, and had Scott been right to doubt him? He shook the worrying thoughts from his head and forced a smile. "Besides, I can make this work."

"You always do," Jacqueline replied with a knowing smile. She was well aware of how expertly he managed the workshop and how nothing ever fell irreparably apart under his watch. If anyone could make a turn around of this situation, it was him.

"Thanks. It's nice to know someone agrees with me."

"Hey, give Santa a break. I think he's just worried about you."

"Worried about _me?"_ Bernard scoffed.

"Well yeah, smart aleck. Have you even considered how much it will hurt if Elle remembers what happened, and then turns you down flat?"

"Of course I've considered it! What do you think I've been thinking all year? I know it's a long shot, but I have to take it. I don't think I can let it go until I know for sure that she…" he trailed off searching for precisely the idea he was trying to get across. "Until I know that she's turning me down because she doesn't want me, not because she's just scared."

Jacqueline remained in a mildly stunned silence for a few seconds, then cleared her throat and leaned away from the doorpost. "I think I can work with that." She smiled, and once again, Bernard felt just a little less hopeless. "Take some time and get yourself sorted, then come downstairs when you're ready okay? Elle will be home tomorrow, and we should talk about what the plan is for the next few days. I'm curious to see what your ideas are for catching her interest."

Bernard groaned. "Can't I just _do_ it and not have to explain?"

"Nice try," Jacqueline said with a laugh. "I'm the best friend, and you're gonna have to impress me before you can impress _her._ I still have a responsibility to make sure she's safe, remember?"

"Safe from me?"

"Maybe, if you're a dating nightmare."

The elf looked down at his least favorite pair of boots with slight chagrin. Had this just become even more complicated?

"But don't worry." The sprite's tone was remarkably at ease. "I'm sure we'll get this thing wrapped up and tied with a ribbon for you by Christmas. And who knows? You might just enjoy yourself in the process."

* * *

 _ **ANNNND WE HAVE OUR FIRST JACQUELINE CHAPTER AHHHHH**_

 _ **If you don't know who Jacqueline is then you've probably been very confused about the second half of my disclaimers for a while now. Jacqueline Frost is the main OC of my dear friend and fellow author Dani aka SafyreSky. I'm only borrowing Jacqueline for the sake of the story, and I hope that I manage to do her justice - especially seeing how I now have so much more information about her than I did during the original write of TEC! THANK YOU DANI FOR LETTING JACQUELINE GRACE TEC:RELOADED WITH HER PRESENCE (and for putting up with me while I drain you of headcanons so I can make my universe compliant with yours and that of the movies as much as possible. YOU DA REAL MVP)**_

 _ **Also! Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last few chapters and the story in general. There were some shenanigans with reviews over the past few days and I just now saw a great portion of them this morning. I appreciate them all (even you, random flamer.) I will eventually delete old TEC (more than likely anyway) but for now I'm leaving it up as a reference point (if not for readers then for myself as I rewrite.) Thank you for bearing with me!**_

 _ **As usual, reviews and feedback are always appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of this story, it means a lot:D**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	19. Chapter 19

_19_.

It had been a good four months since Ellington Connelly had set foot in her hometown. No sooner had she stepped off the plane was she hit with the reality of the situation: her rather exciting past few months had really come to a close and with it, a remarkable chapter of her life. Part of her wondered if she'd made the right decision coming home, but knowing there was a warm invitation open to her at all times back in Maine made her feel that much more confident in returning to normal life.

As to be expected there was a car waiting for her at the gate, but no family. This was usual, especially since she hadn't bothered to call Jacqueline and tell her when her flight landed. It didn't matter too much, she figured. She could use the extra bit of time to get her head in order.

It felt like ages since she'd seen any familiar faces. She'd made new friends and acquaintances on the other side of the country but none that she could say she felt truly close to. Then again, she didn't always feel at peace at home. She had a restlessness about her, as if she were constantly needed somewhere else, and it oftentimes drove her family up the wall.

Still, she reminded herself, it was the holiday season and she owed it to her family to try and be as loving and _normal_ as possible. Granted, it had been a good year since Ellington had felt anything close to normal, but that was pointless to think of. Telepathy wasn't something to complain about, was it? Only when it made you feel like a freak.

The ride drew to a close as she pulled up in front of her house. Ellington leaned away from the window, still rubbing at her sore temples as she got out of the car and, with the help of the chauffeur, brought her bags indoors. The house was quiet, since her mom and dad were no doubt still at their offices, which gave her a little time to clear her head. A black and grey border collie trotted into the room before bolting straight for her, all happy slobbers and barks.

"Hey Myra, how've you been?" Elle knelt and hugged the dog, glad to see at least one non judgmental face. "Has Annise been overfeeding you again, or is that just your winter coat? That's a good girl." She eventually got up and carried her bags upstairs, the dog on her heels the whole way. It felt odd, being in the house after it had already been decorated and set up for Christmas. She was so used to being a part of that, but her studies had kept her away from home too long this year and she'd missed her chance.

Her room was clean but felt empty and strange. Still, it was familiar territory, and she collapsed back onto the bed with a tired sigh. She honestly hoped things went smoothly with her family, otherwise she might be spending the holidays at Jacqueline's place again.

* * *

Speaking of Jacqueline's place, it was more lively than usual with an elf milling about restlessly. Clearly, Bernard was used to a high level of productivity, because Jacqueline couldn't help but wonder if the guy ever truly wound down—or maybe that was just his anxiety talking.

"I can't help it," he'd muttered when she'd asked him to stop pacing a track in her dining room carpet. "I've been having these headaches lately, and besides that, I can't seem to get my mind to stop running in circles. You'd think I'd have half enough wits about me to stop from losing my grip, but no. It has to be now that I'm hanging by a thread."

"Calm down," Jacqueline ordered, pointing to a seat at the table. After a little deliberation Bernard obeyed, taking a seat to her right. "Now, let's go over what we decided yesterday, okay? Maybe it'll put your mind at ease. Heavens only know we can't have you acting this tense when you two meet again or it might be a disaster."

"When who meets again?" Came a voice from the doorway, calm and quiet and curious. Jacqueline's eyes went wide and Bernard stayed very still in his seat, as if he thought he could keep from moving and remain unseen.

"Elle! I didn't hear you come in. What are you doing back? I thought you were gonna call me when you touched down."

"Nice to see you too," Elle's voice said with a laugh, and Bernard felt his cheeks flush at the sound of it. Elle was there, she was right _there,_ if he could just find his courage and turn around. She rolled her eyes at Jacqueline, setting a thoughtful finger to her lips. Her gaze settled on the back of Bernard's head, curiosity written all over her face. "Who's this, a new boyfriend?"

" _Not for me_ ," Jacqueline muttered before sighing and rising to her feet with a smile. "Nah, this is Bernard. He's…" she looked down at the elf for an explanation but found only panic in his eyes. "...my cousin? Distant cousin. Yeah! He's from _way_ up North, came down for a surprise visit. How nice is that?"

"Very, I'm sure," Elle replied calmly as her friend came over and hugged her tightly. She wheezed slightly in the sprite's grip. "Jacquie, can't breathe, can't breathe!"

"Jacquie?" Bernard said in surprise. He'd never heard Jacqueline called by that nickname before. He finally turned to find Jacqueline flushed and grinning and Elle looking amused.

"Ah, he speaks." Bernard's throat went dry. Had she always been this...this vibrant? Her eyes seemed so bright and her smile so warm and he wanted to hug her so badly and holy _night he was floundering here…_ "Bernard, is it?" She asked, her brows furrowing as she turned his name over in her mouth. She met his eyes for the first time, and...what was _that_ expression?

"Oh," she said softly, and he felt his heart slamming against the inside of his ribcage. There was _no_ way she remembered him, he reminded himself furiously as her gaze stayed locked with his. _There was just no way._

Elle looked away and smiled, back to her usual self again. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she finished, turning her attention back to her friend. The way she spoke to Jacqueline reminded him of just how much of a stranger he was to her, and it wasn't a pleasant realization. He sank slowly back down into his seat feeling small and out of place in a way that he hadn't felt for a good number of hundreds of years and that he definitely didn't _like_. So he just looked at her, the way he'd wanted to for months: drinking her in with his eyes when she wasn't aware of him to notice.

She was paler than she'd been before. He supposed that she'd been tan from living in Hawaii, and now, she's just spent several autumn months in...Maine, was it? No doubt it had been cold. Her hair was straight now, instead of curly, and she had rather fetching bangs that framed her face sweetly. But everything else was the same. She was still Ellington, living and breathing and real and he'd never been quite so aware of how much he'd _missed her_ as he was right then _._

"Mind if I crash your party?" When Bernard came back from his thoughts he was shocked to find Elle pulling out a chair beside him, sitting down and eyeing him with renewed interest. Jacqueline had gone off into the kitchen despite his pleading look, throwing him a wink and a pair of thumbs up as encouragement.

"What party?" He asked, still on edge and not quite processing the question because of how close she was to him. Their elbows were practically touching and his chest felt tight.

"You're quite literal, aren't you? I only meant to say, 'I hope you don't mind if I break in on your thoughts'." She smiled kindly, offering her hand to shake. "I'm Elle, Elle Connelly."

"I know." Bernard couldn't help but smile as he shook her hand, a warm thrum running up his arm at the contact. Gods, he was acting like a three hundred year old. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

"Is it?" Elle looked intrigued, almost too intrigued as she gave him a strange, gleaming eyed look—almost as if she were trying to see if he understood what she did. After a moment she looked down at the table with a smirk, drumming her fingers on the white birch surface. "Has Jacquie been talking trash about me being gone too long?"

"Hmm? No, no of course not. Only nice things," he reassured her, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot straight off the bat. Elle chuckled knowingly.

"So you _were_ talking about me then. Interesting." She looked at him sideways, surprised to find him already watching her with big eyes. "Say, are you alright?"

"It's just...really nice to see you. That's all." Bernard looked toward the kitchen, ignoring her suspicious expression. He was carefully guarding his mind from her, unwilling to drop any hints as to who he really was or why he was there until the time was right. He saw a vaguely irritated look pass over her face, and then she smacked her hand on the table.

"Well, Jacqueline is making popcorn. I'm going to crash here for a little while until my parents get home and have some time to cool down, so we're gonna watch a movie. Feel free to join us if you want to," she offered with a slight shrug, and Bernard's mind went back to the times she'd done the same thing at the Pole. He'd been so comfortable beside her, just talking and getting to know her. It almost hurt to think about doing it all over again.

"I think I've got some errands to run," the elf said, and Elle nodded. "But I should be back in an hour or two, if you'll still be around."

"More than likely I will. Good luck then." Just like that, Elle was gone, finding her way into the kitchen and resuming conversation with her friend as if nothing had happened. Bernard _loathed_ the feeling of being the third wheel, the isolation making him frown unhappily as he rose to his feet and grabbed his coat from the back of his chair. Maybe some fresh air and a good cocoa could clear his mind from his insecurities for awhile.

* * *

"So, what did you think of Bernard?"

"He's...something."

" _Something?"_ Jacqueline pulled a disdainful face, picking through the popcorn with an expert hand. "That's all?"

"What, am I supposed to be incredibly impressed? The guy said a handful of words to me, I wasn't particularly overwhelmed."

Jacqueline rolled her eyes. "Of course he did. Great."

Elle looked at her friend sideways. "What's that supposed to mean?" She squinted suspiciously. "Are you playing matchmaker and trying to set me up with someone again?"

"No," Jacqueline said lightly, her eyes flicking between the screen and the bowl. "I just thought you two would hit it off, that's all."

Elle sighed. "You know I'm not the type to hit it off with strangers."

"I know. But there has to be an exception eventually, right?"

"You sound like my mom. And hey, get your toes off my leg, they're _freezing."_ Pulling the blanket more snugly around her ankles, Elle tried to set her focus back on the movie, but found her thoughts wandering back to the...man? Boy? The line seemed vaguely drawn for Jacqueline's cousin-not to mention, they looked _nothing_ alike.

"You sure you two are related?"

" _Distantly._ Why?"

"Because you don't look alike at all."

"Aren't genetics funny sometimes?" Jacqueline laughed dismissively, but Elle didn't feel satisfied. Something was being held away from her, and she didn't like not knowing what. Not to mention, her mind kept going back to the precious cargo she had in her suitcase at home. She knew it would still be a week until she could properly use the items, but it was constantly on her mind. The answers she was looking for were so close, it was no wonder she was a bit anxious.

The television switched off, and Jacqueline turned to face her with a knowing expression. "So, do you want to talk about whatever it is you found in Maine?"

Elle picks up her cup of coffee from the table and sipped it thoughtfully. "I don't know, can you promise to be open-minded this time?"

"What do you mean? I'm plenty open-minded! I was one hundred percent behind you making this trip, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. But I also know every time I bring up the subject of magic, you either clam up or say it's all a gimmick."

"Well for the sake of conversation let's assume I'm going to be open-minded then."

Elle hesitated.

"Come _on_ , Elle. I've been waiting months for _real_ news from you! Can't you at least tell me what you were up to in...where did you say you were?"

"I didn't," Elle replied, and her voice was conciliatory. After a moment though, a soft smile crossed her face. Now that she was actually in Seattle, it was beginning to sink in just how Maine had begun to feel like home. "And you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

A determined glint came into Jacqueline' eyes. "Try me."

Elle wavered for a moment before waving her hand dismissively. "Nah, it can wait. Goodness only know mom and dad are going to jump down my throat about it once I'm home. Let's talk about something better. What have _you_ been up to while I was away?"

When Bernard returned just over two hours later, he found the girls deep in conversation in the living room. He lingered in the doorway for a moment and Elle immediately fell silent, looking up almost as if she were suspicious of how long he'd been standing there. It didn't exactly do wonders for making him feel welcome.

"Hey there, B-Man. Back so soon?" Jacqueline picked the mood back up, trying to gloss over Elle's rather frigid behavior. She didn't understand why she was acting so strange around Bernard—at least, not _Elle's_ reason. The real reason was as clear as day: there was still unresolved tension between the two of them, whether Elle remembered it or not.

"Apparently." He shrugged, revealing that he was holding several bags from different apparel stores. "You guys need a little longer to talk, or..?"

"We're finished," Elle replied, quickly getting up off the sofa.

"For _now,"_ Jacqueline added pointedly, and Elle waved her off.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Is it alright if I order dinner in? I miss that Italian place downtown, and they deliver." She left the room, going to search for her phone and leaving Jacqueline and Bernard alone. As soon as Elle was out of earshot, Bernard turned to the sprite-in-disguise with an expectant look.

"Well? Did you learn anything about what happened in Maine?"

"We'd better talk about it later," Jacqueline said quickly, setting a hand to her glass of bubbly and chilling it before Elle returned. "She's hiding a lot from me, I can tell, but I don't want to press for details because she _knows_ I'm hiding stuff too. It's bad timing. We'll get to the bottom of it though, once she's let her guard down a little. I think she's pretty worried Phil and Josie are gonna chew her out when they see her next. It's got her on edge."

"How can I help?"

"Good question."

"You can help by telling me what you feeling like eating," Elle replied, coming into the room and crashing on the couch with her phone in hand. "I'm paying, so feel free to ask for whatever you want."

"Lemme see." Jacqueline snatched it from Elle, who didn't seem to protest at the action. Instead she turned and smiled up at Bernard, which made him let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she wasn't writing him off just yet.

"You busy tonight, Bernard?"

"Um...I'm not sure yet." He looked down at the bags in his hands. "I should go put these away, so I'll leave you two to whatever I interrupted."

Elle watched him turn and make his way up the stairs before turning to Jacqueline with a look that screamed of 'I told you so'. "What a _chatterbox._ It's almost impossible to get him to stop talking."

Jacqueline looked a bit frustrated as Bernard left, but didn't bring it up, forcing an uneasy laugh. "Guess he's a real introvert," she said, her eyebrows raising as she took a sip of her drink.

It was a few long minutes later that a sharp rap came on the elf's door, startling him so that he bumped his head on the drawer of the bureau he was unpacking clothes into. It made no sense to keep them all in his bag and let them grow wrinkled, in any case. He was trying to make a good impression—but by the look on Jacqueline's face, he didn't expect she believed that very much.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a forced whisper. In the distance, the sound of some show's title sequence was playing. "I'm trying to give you openings to talk to her, and you're being completely unsociable, let alone _charming._ "

"She's only just met me," Bernard replied, bewildered. "What did you expect me to do, drop on my knees and confess my undying love? I think _that_ would scare her more than my playing hard to get."

Jacqueline threw her head back and laughed. "Is that what you think you're doing here, 'playing hard to get'? Seriously? This isn't really the time for games."

"Isn't it? Because according to Cupid, the last time I was around her I was 'coming onto her like a wildfire', and that only made her run away from me. I thought this time, being a bit more mysterious might get me somewhere."

The sprite looked thoughtful. "Well, I think we can both agree that anything Elle thinks she can't have, she's going to try even harder for. Maybe that's sound logic, after all."

"We can _agree_ on that? She thought she couldn't have me last time around and I didn't see her fighting against that."

"Just because you didn't _see_ it, doesn't mean she wasn't. In fact, if I know her at all, she was probably tying herself in knots over you. She's a real worrying type."

" _That_ I do know." Bernard sighed tiredly, dragging a hand down his face. "I think some part of me just didn't expect to see her so _soon._ It hurts more than I'd expected to have her not recognize me and...I don't know. I guess getting to know her all over again seems overwhelming." He sank down on the bed, a pair of sweatpants in hand. He'd gone out to buy normal human clothes, since he was in short supply of them. He stared down at the heathered fabric, a slouch in his shoulders. A weight sank down on the bed beside him.

"It's going to be okay, Bernard. If you two are meant to be, I'm sure things will start falling into place."

"That's what I'm worried about." He looked over at Jacqueline, anxiety all over his features. "What if she was right, and we weren't good for each other? I could be chasing smoke here, and she would never understand why it matters when we don't work out."

"Isn't that a risk you're going to have to take?"

"Doesn't mean I have to feel comfortable with it."

"Of course not. You're making a trust fall, with no idea if she's going to actually catch you or not. That's nerve-wracking enough as it is."

"I'm not sure that's all."

"Oh?"

Bernard reverted his gaze to his hands. "I get the feeling that I'm scared of what she'll think when she finds out about the Emissary Clause."

"And how engaged you two were supposed to be?"

"Exactly."

"Well the good thing is that the Clause doesn't exist here," Jacqueline pointed out. "You've got a clean slate. Hey, if you didn't _ever_ want to tell her about what happened before—"

"I couldn't possibly keep a secret like that from her."

"I see." She frowned thoughtfully before giving a shrug. "Well, for the time being, you've only got one thing to worry about really."

"And that is?"

Jacqueline grinned. "Tell me: are you very good at being charming?"

"Oh boy." Bernard sighed again, but he couldn't help but smile at her tone.

"The rest can wait till later. Right now, I think you should focus on romancing your lady."

" _Please_ don't call it that."

"Okay, what would you prefer? Getting your game on? Putting the moves on her? Seducing—"

"Why don't we start with friendship first."

That seemed to surprise her. "Oh. Well. Okay then. Friendship it is."

* * *

When the elf and sprite finally made their way downstairs again, they found Elle sat on the floor. There were several bags of takeout on the coffee table, but that wasn't what her attention was on. She was scribbling furiously on a paper napkin with a ballpoint pen, her head bent over the drawing with a frown etched into her lips.

"You okay there, kiddo?" Jacqueline asked, plunking back down on the couch and startling the girl. Elle jumped, her pen skidding across the napkin haphazardly. She hissed in irritation.

"Dammit Jacquie, I was trying to—" she looked up and saw Bernard, now dressed casually in sweatpants and a tee shirt as he rifled through the takeout. Her eyes went as wide as saucers, as if she was really seeing him for the first time.

"Anybody mind if I have the..." He realized that he was being stared at and went a little red, clearing his throat. "Is um, something wrong?"

"Huh? No! No, it's just…" Elle trailed off in embarrassment, and to Bernard's surprise and slight heartache he saw she still had the same habit of scratching at the back of her neck when she got uncomfortable. He mentally reminded himself that he couldn't let the little things get to him as he watched her quickly fold up the napkin. "Nothing. Sorry, it's rude to stare. I'm just um...tired? From my flight. That's all."

"Ready for the movie?" Jacqueline asked, redirecting the conversation yet again. "We'd meant to watch something while you were out but we got sidetracked."

"Sure, so long as I'm not disturbing—" Before Bernard could finish the sprite had tugged him down on the sofa, in between herself and Elle.

"Of course you aren't, we both invited you remember?" Jacqueline said, giving him a conspiratorial wink. On the other side of him, Elle had nestled against the arm of the couch, clearly still a little wary of him. She was also subtly rubbing at her temple, which served as a reminder for him to safeguard his mind. Still, her hesitance and obvious unfamiliarity with him made his heart hurt. He hadn't considered just how painful being a complete stranger to her would be.

The evening grew even more nerve wracking for him when they decided to watch _The Sleeping Beauty,_ which would have been fine under any other circumstance. But it left him in a terribly heart wrenching place of actually paying attention to the movie for once and feeling a hot stab of nostalgia when he noticed Elle humming along to _Once Upon A Dream._ An anxious flutter in his stomach was his closest companion until the film drew to a close. For someone who hadn't been too fond of the idea of happy endings, he found himself wishing his own could be just a little more straightforward.

Elle had been surprisingly quiet, which Jacqueline pointed out later on. "I guess I was just...thinking," she explained with a slight shrug.

"About what? It's not like you to let your mind wander during Disney, pal."

Another shrug, and Elle mumbled something.

"What's that?"

"I said, 'the movie's a little inaccurate'. That's all." Elle seemed uncomfortable by the subject, which made Bernard wonder. Why would she suddenly be such a stickler for detail over something so trivial?

"Aren't most movies?" Bernard chimed in, taking her side in the most nonchalant way before Jacqueline could press for details—since she was obviously concerned by her friend's out of character behavior. Elle seemed grateful for his backup, giving him a gentle smile that did wonders for the knot of tension in his gut.

"True."

Jacqueline looked bewildered for a long moment before realizing that regardless of the confusion, Elle and Bernard were actually getting along for the first time. "I'm going to bed," she announced decisively. "You two crazy kids can stay up if you want. I'll bet you have a lot to talk about."

"Kids?" Bernard muttered distastefully, which got him a soft giggle from Elle. She was curled up under the blanket, peeking out at him with amused eyes, and suddenly he couldn't help but feel that Jacqueline's leaving was well timed.

"See you in the morning!" Jacqueline all but skipped out, clearly pleased that her plan was working. Elle seemed to grow a little more comfortable once her friend had left, her demeanor seeming to become less worried in spite of being in the presence of a stranger.

"So," she said, after a few quiet moments had passed. "What brings you to Seattle, anyway? Jacquie never did say why you were visiting. Business or pleasure?"

"A little bit of both, I suppose," Bernard replied after a thoughtful stare at the cool blue flames in the fireplace. There was no easy way to say 'I'm here because of you' that wouldn't come across completely _wrong_ at the moment, so he held the truth back—in part at least. "A close associate of mine has been taking a rather long break from the business. My boss thought it time she return to reassess her position with the company." That was more or less true, regardless of how stuffy it sounded.

"Sounds very official," Elle said, following his gaze to the fire.

"Complicated, is more like it. It's a very delicate situation and I'm the only one who can really fix it."

"Will you?"

Bernard frowned, looking at the young woman in surprise. "Pardon?"

"Will you manage? This associate of yours, do you think you can bring her around?"

He chose his words very carefully before going on, and Elle couldn't help but think his gaze became a little too direct for her liking. "Honestly? I have no idea. It's been quite some time since I've seen her and...well, I think I've become a real stranger to her."

"Surely she'll remember you and her purpose, right?"

The elf scoffed softly over the rim of his glass. "It's hard to say."

"You don't sound very hopeful."

"Let's just say, we weren't on the best of terms even before she left. I worry that even if she recalls how very much she's needed, she won't be moved to return with me."

"Maybe you should stop _speculating_ so much and give this poor girl a _chance."_ Elle's tone was sharper than he'd expected, and he looked over to find her looking sheepish. "Sorry, it's really not my place to say that, is it? I guess it just struck a nerve with me."

"It's alright," Bernard reassured her, feeling an odd sense of comfort in how convinced she seemed of that idea. It was possible that under the surface, in a part of her mind that she didn't realize she even had, she was fighting to remember. But then, that was an awfully big reach. "You're absolutely right. I'm too worried about things not working out, and I'm not focusing on trying to see they _do._ It's good advice."

"I'm glad you can find value in me running my mouth," Elle said with a slight laugh, looking around the room thoughtfully. Bernard watched her, feeling like perhaps for a moment he could see a twinkle of the old Elle that he knew and loved.

"I've always valued your opinions," he said softly, and Elle looked back slightly confused.

"Excuse me?"

"It's nothing." He waved her off, following the trail her eyes had taken around the room. "What were you thinking of, just now?"

She seemed put off by the question for a moment before smiling a little. "I was just noticing that Jacqueline hasn't decorated for Christmas yet."

"You're right." Bernard hadn't noticed the dearth of decorations because of his state of worry, but now that she'd pointed it out Jacqueline's house was far from festive. "Say, are you busy tomorrow?"

Elle shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eye as she realized what he was getting at. "I don't have to be."

"Then what do you say we do something about her lack of spirit, hmm?"

She broke into a smile. "Sounds like a plan."

 _Sounds like a date,_ part of his mind went, and he noticed her eyebrow lift as if she'd heard him. Elle didn't say anything though, her smile widening just a little more.

"A plan it is."

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	20. Chapter 20

_20._

"Jacqueline hurry up, you dawdling snowflake!"

The sprite appeared at the top of the stairs in a fluffy blue sweater, a furrow in her brow. "I'm _not_ dawdling," she protested, tugging on a boot.

"Easy there, grumpy. I just thought you'd want your bacon while it's still hot."

"I'm not grumpy, either. B-Man's the grumpy one, remember?"

"He doesn't seem very grumpy if you feed him pancakes," Elle pointed out, pointing with a spatula across the island counter. Clearly, she'd missed the meaning of Jacqueline telling her to remember, but that was alright because she was telling the truth. Jacquie looked and saw that yes, there _was_ a rather content looking Bernard on the other side of the table, tucking into a stack of pancakes and not looking grumpy in the slightest. He gave a little wave with his fork, and the sprite couldn't help but chuckle.

"Okay, you've got me there kid." She swung around the edge of the table and took a seat beside the elf, tugging a plate of crispy bacon towards her without remorse. Bernard raised an eyebrow.

"Help yourself much?"

Jacqueline shrugged. "It's my house, my rules buddy. Besides, it's not like I get a whole plate of bacon to myself at home."

"Speaking of home, I should run back for a little while," Elle said, pulling the last of the eggs out of the frying pan and dishing them onto a plate. Bernard perked up at that, seemingly upset at the idea, but before he could protest Elle explained. "I've got to take a shower and change out of yesterday's clothes before we go out at all. Do you think we should go decoration shopping or tree cutting first?"

"Definitely the shopping," Bernard replied with certainty, when Jacqueline cut in.

"Whoa whoa whoa, what's all this about shopping and tree cutting and decorations?"

Elle rolled her eyes as if she didn't have much patience for her friend's feigned confusion. "Go figure you'd forget a major holiday. In case you didn't notice, it's mid-December? You should have decorated for Christmas already."

"Oh." Jacqueline looked honestly surprised. "Huh. I guess I got sidetracked." It was true, she'd been too busy trying to figure out how to deal with Elle herself to worry about holidays.

"You goof. Anyway, since I didn't get to decorate here at home with my family and your house is spartan as far as festivities go, Bernard said he'd help me help you decorate the place?" Elle looked hopeful, clearly hanging on her friend's agreement. She did need permission to revamp her house, after all. Jacqueline gave a long suffering sigh.

"Oh, alright. You two can get your Christmas on, but! There are _rules."_ She held up a hand, ready to tick them off on her fingers. Elle groaned, dishing up her own breakfast before sliding into a seat on the other side of the sprite.

" _Fine,_ mom. Hit me."

Jacqueline spent a good portion of the breakfast laying out what colors were acceptable (blues and silvers, mostly) and making a strict list of things that weren't.

"Those smelly Christmas candles? Don't even think about it," she said specifically to Elle, who's face fell slightly. "I know you're one of those freaks who loves the smelly candles. Keep it to your house, okay? Plain candles are just fine thanks."

"Way to take the joy out of it," Bernard muttered, and Jacqueline rounded on him in fake surprise.

"Oh really? You're telling me you two wouldn't go ham on all things red and green and cinnamon if I didn't specify otherwise?"

Elle gave a little shrug, sipping her coffee. "I mean…"

"That's what I thought. I know this girl better than you do, B-Man. _Trust_ me, I needed to make it clear."

"Maybe you've got a point." Bernard rolled his eyes, clearing away the dishes and taking them to the sink. He didn't like it, but it _was_ true: Jacqueline had known Elle a lot longer than he had. She was her best friend and because of that, he couldn't claim to know what was best for her anymore. He needed to give Jacqueline the reins, so to speak.

"Well that settles it then." Elle hopped up off her stool, giving her friend a wink. "I'm going to see if I can sneak back here as quickly as possible. Should only take me an hour or so if I can get around mom and dad."

Jacqueline frowned worriedly. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked, tapping her foot against the table. "Maybe you want to talk to them before you spend all day out and about with me."

"Nah." Elle waved her off. "I'll deal with them later. I'm not exactly keen on a lecture right now, you know? Kinda kills my vibe for all this decorating we've got. I'll be back before you know it!" Before Jacqueline or Bernard could argue she was gone, stepping quickly to the foyer and out the front door as quickly as she could tug on her shoes and coat.

"She really is stubborn," Jacqueline murmured, half thoughtfully and half irritated. "Phil and Josie are _not_ going to be pleased with her avoiding them like this."

"I guess some things haven't changed, then." Bernard snapped and the dishes were cleaned, saving him a bit of time. Jacquie arched an eyebrow.

"Don't those kind of tricks drain your magic while you're away from the Pole? You know, being away from the Core of Christmas magic and all."

"Not for me." Bernard took his seat again, dismissing the subject. "By the way, thank you for letting us decorate your house."

"You seemed pretty invested in it," Jacqueline pointed out, and he nodded.

"I guess I'm hoping that maybe, being around me _and_ Christmas things…"

"Might stir up some memories?"

"Exactly."

"Not the worst idea." Jacqueline viewed him with interest, her thoughts coming back to a subject she couldn't help but keep bringing up. "So, you're really going all out for her then? You want her to remember everything?"

"It's only right. And it's the only way she'll remember signing that contract," Bernard said, drumming his fingers on the counter.

"You make it sound as if it's all business," Jacqueline said with squinted eyes and a smirk. "But I've seen the way you look at her."

Bernard sighed, but went with it. "And how do I look at her, Jacqueline?"

"Like you _love her_. And _especially_ when she's not looking. I never thought I'd get to see you moony eyed over anyone, let alone my friend." She chuckled in amusement, feeling a bit pleased when the elf turned pink.

"Is that so wrong?"

"Of course not. It's just odd, coming from you."

"Well trust me. Last time around, she definitely thought so too." There was something in his expression that told Jacqueline he was really bothered by that fact.

"She really did give you a hard time, didn't she?"

Bernard nodded reluctantly. "She just wouldn't believe that I loved her. I told her, others told her, it didn't make any difference. She was still convinced she wasn't good for me. I was going _nuts_ trying to figure out how to get through to her, and then.." He snapped his fingers. "Just like that she was gone."

"All because of Jack," Jacqueline remembered, her face darkening with anger.

"Yeah, something like that." Both sat in a tense, upset silence for a minute or two before Bernard broke it. "Listen, it's not your fault what he did, or mine. We're just both dealing with the aftermath."

"That's true enough." The sprite nodded, giving home a small smile. "So what do you say we try and fix what he ruined, eh? Let's get you and Elle hooked up."

In spite of yet another rudely put description of what he was trying to do, Bernard could help but grin. "Okay, let's do that."

* * *

"Thank god my mom isn't here, she'd have a fit if she knew I was shopping for decorations at Target," Elle murmured, gripping the cart handle a little more securely. She cast glances around almost as if she expected Mrs. Connelly to jump out from somewhere and begin lecturing her.

"Why's that?" Bernard asked in confusion, and beside them, Jacqueline huffed humorously.

"Josie is a real stickler when it comes to interior decorating. It's how she makes her money, you know? She doesn't like shopping at chain stores for any sort of furnishing."

"Sounds a little high strung," Bernard said, in a tone he thought was private between him and Jacqueline but ended up reaching Elle's ears anyway—or perhaps that was her telepathy coming into play. She snorted with laughter, hiding her smile behind her sleeve.

"Just a bit, isn't it?" Her eyes twinkled at him and he felt his stomach do an odd happy flip, a goofy smile taking his face. Jacqueline chuckled, more at the two of them then at the comment.

"Come _on_ you guys. If we don't focus we'll be here for hours. You lose track of time in here—and we don't want a redo of last Halloween, do we?"

Elle immediately broke down into giggles as Bernard looked between the two of them. "What happened last Halloween?"

"It's a _long_ story," both girls said at the same time, before Elle went on. "It has something to do with a missing earring, and a freak snowstorm, and the fact that Jacqueline always forgets to keep her phone charged—"

"Well I certainly remember better _now."_

"I'll take your word for it then," Bernard conceded, watching the laughing friends with another pang of loneliness. He still felt like the third wheel, which was _very_ unwelcome, but he didn't have time to really feel bad about it as Elle ended up grabbing him by the arm, Jacqueline taking control of the cart.

"Lighten up, Bernard. We haven't forgotten about you," she informed him kindly, and he felt a rush of heat to his face from the contact. "Jacquie tells me you're a real expert when it comes to all things Christmas, is that true?"

"In a manner of speaking, yeah," he admitted, looking over at Jacqueline just in time to see her give him a nod that said 'you've got this'.

"Perfect! Then we brought the right guy for the job." He was surprised when she slipped her hand down his arm and took him by the hand, pulling him off towards the Christmas displays. "Hopefully they have enough blue and silver stuff, otherwise…" She shot a mischievous look back at her blonde friend.

"Don't even think about it!" Jacqueline called after them, shaking her head at Elle's antics. Not that Bernard seemed to be complaining as he tripped along after her, that ridiculous smile still on his face. She had admit, it did look good on him.

She'd expected to be bored watching them shop but instead found it fun to shadow them, even through the monotonous parts like when Bernard was explaining how many fairy lights a nine foot tree should have or how much garland they would need for the banister. Elle seemed completely immersed in the subject, hanging on his every word and seeming completely thrilled by his knowledge. Jacqueline supposed it was pretty fortuitous that Bernard was in a good spot as a Christmas elf, since he got to put the moves on his girl during his prime season.

They emerged two hours later with a cart full of supplies, Elle wearing a silver strand of garland around her neck like a scarf and a pair of reindeer antlers on her head. Jacqueline hadn't found the trip completely boring as she'd found a nice pair of sunglasses, in spite of her friends' arguments that she didn't need sunglasses in winter. She'd also made several circuits of the store, hit on one of the clerks until the poor girl had grown rather flustered, and then had gotten more cocoa supplies since Bernard had already started to make a considerable dent in her stores. She'd also made a mental note to restock the liquor cabinet, since it was quite possible he'd be needing that as well—though from the looks of things, he was well on his way to sneaking into Elle's heart.

They piled into one of the Connelly family cars, which Elle had seemingly had no qualms about borrowing. After some argument it was settled that Jacqueline would drive, because it was snowing and she was apparently the better bad weather driver since there was "the incident with the ski-do to remember", which seemed to cow Ellington considerably. She climbed into the backseat with little fuss after that, cuddling up with a throw blanket she found behind the seat. She found it funny how Jacqueline and Bernard seemed to have whispered argument outside the car for a moment before he joined her, sliding into the other side of the backseat with a slight smile. She returned the gesture wholeheartedly, and he seemed to melt with relief.

By the time they made it back to Jacqueline's place it was lunch time, but apparently Elle had used something called a Postmates and had it delivered. Then it was back out again, this time, to find a tree—a real, living one, as both Elle and Bernard insisted in spite of the mess Jacqueline worried it would make.

That found them tramping through the snow just outside of Bellingham around four pm, combing through a Christmas tree farm for a tree of the shape and size that they were set on. Jacqueline seemed perfectly content outdoors in only her coat and scarf, and hardly seemed to mind when a fresh dusting began to fall. Elle on the other hand, was quite bundled up and her nose was still a bright red.

"How about this one?" She asked, staring up a big pine as Bernard came up beside her.

"It's alright, but the lower branches are a bit spindly. I think we can do better." He offered her his hand and to his surprise, she took it at once. He led her off in another direction, Jacqueline trailing along behind and looking very in her element. She didn't even seem to be noticing that the tides had turned, leaving her as the third wheel for the time being.

"This one's pretty nice," he pointed out, and Elle followed his gaze to a very tall, wonderfully bushy tree. She let out a little gasp and nodded enthusiastically, his smile growing at her excitement. Jacqueline came up behind them and groaned.

"That old thing? It's gonna drop needles in my carpet, you guys. That's plush carpet in the living room! White plush!"

"Oh come _on_ , Jacquie," Elle fussed, giving her friend her most beseeching look. "Bernard says it's the best one."

"And you trust him over me?"

"Well…" She cast a look at the elf whose hand she was holding, growing a little confused. _Too_ confused, Bernard couldn't help but think, as he gaze kept shifting between the two of them. "I mean…" She flinched and set a hand to her head, looking bewildered.

"Elle? Are you alright?" Bernard asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze and immediately growing concerned. He'd seen that kind of behavior from her before, the year prior. Whenever she was close to losing her grip on her telepathy, her headaches would kick in. He also knew that he used to be pretty much the only person who could talk her out of it, so he thought he'd owed it a try.

She shut her eyes and shook her head briskly, as if trying to cast the feeling off. "Yeah B, I'm fine," she reassured him, and Jacqueline looked awed.

"We'll get the tree," she said, snatching the tag from Bernard's hand and hanging it on a middle branch.

"Are you sure?" Elle asked, seeming worried. "Jacquie, it is your house and you're letting us decorate so we owe it to you to give you the final choice and all—"

"Nah, it's fine. Besides, dropping needles aside, it's a great tree. I'll wait for the guy to come and cut it for us. Bernard, why don't you get her out of the cold? I think it's not helping her condition right now." Sure enough, Elle was beginning to sneeze, and her cheeks were a little too pink.

"Absolutely." He had to remind himself that he couldn't use the fastest option and teleport her to the nearest warm place. Instead, he gave Jacqueline a reassuring nod and began leading Elle back the way they'd come, holding her tightly by the hand.

"I'm sorry I ruined the tree finding," Elle said apologetically, looking rather miserable. It was clear that she felt the argument to have been her fault.

"Don't worry about it, it's not a problem. You didn't ruin anything," Bernard told her, giving her a little smile as he lifted a branch for her to pass under.

"I shouldn't have argued with Jacqueline, I always start something and kill the mood—" she sneezed again, shivering and pulling her coat tighter around herself.

"Hey." He tugged her hand, bringing her to a stop. He caught her other hand as well, bringing them up to his mouth. Her eyes went wide as he blew on her hands, warming them between his. "It's fine, it was just a bit of friendly banter. You're not feeling well, it's perfectly understandable that you reacted that way. Don't stress it, alright? I _mean_ it." He smiled, watching her face go red and something in her eyes change to a look he was more familiar with.

A look he'd been missing for a very long, very lonely year.

"Okay." Her voice was tiny, and she soon looked away with embarrassment. He couldn't help but smile, until she sneezed again and he remembered why they were in a hurry. Thinking quickly, he took the hat from his head and set it over hers, it falling down over her ears. She looked up at him with big eyes, and he felt an all too familiar tug in his chest.

"There. Now let's get you indoors."

* * *

Something changed between him and Elle that evening.

They'd returned home with the tree, Elle immediately heading upstairs under Jacqueline's orders to take a hot shower and get into some drier clothes. That left Bernard and Jacqueline to bring the tree inside, but that was okay. With magic between the two of them they got it indoors and set up quite easily, with time leftover to change their own damp garments and get something hot to drink for when Elle returned.

She came downstairs in a pair of plaid pajamas, still a bit pink around the edges and sneezing occasionally. Bernard and Jacqueline took turns plying her with hot drinks and blankets to keep her sniffles from turning into fully fledged pneumonia, and as the evening progressed her symptoms began to die down.

"She has her mother's constitution," Jacquie had explained when she and Bernard had a moment alone in the kitchen. "There were a decent number of health scares during her childhood, but she always pulled through. I guess I just...I don't know. I get overprotective. Humans are so delicate, you know? Any little thing can turn into a big thing and then…" She trailed off with a shrug.

"Is that the reason you were so worried back at the tree farm?"

Jacqueline looked at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding? I mean yeah, I was worried that she might catch cold, but I was more concerned about what she said."

"And...what did she say?"

"She called you 'B', Bernard. I thought that was some sort of pet name."

Bernard stared at her. "She did what?"

"What I said. She called you B, and I thought she was starting to remember."

"Maybe she is," he admitted, the words coming out in a whisper. It was hard for him to believe that she might already be recalling their past. It seemed like too much to hope for, especially when she'd already begun to warm to him.

The conversation ended there, and the two made their way back out to the living room to see if Elle was ready for the decorating.

"Okay kid, I hope you're not planning on catching cold because we're going to need your help to…" Jacqueline trailed off, finding the living room deserted. "Elle?"

There was no reply.

"Elle!" Bernard gave a louder shout, and a few moments later she shuffled into a doorway, both elf and sprite letting out a sigh of relief.

"You did us a scare, Elle bean. It's really getting snowy out there, you know. The forecast said to expect blizzard conditions." Not that Jacqueline had checked the forecast, but given that she was the one controlling the storm, it made sense anyway.

"I just went to put the laundry in the dryer," Elle said with a fond chuckle. "You two worry too much. No, I think I'm imposing on you for another night with this weather."

"It's not imposing if you're wanted," Bernard pointed out, and Elle couldn't help but smile.

"That's sweet of you."

"So are you two going to take the lead on this decorating thing?" Jacqueline asked, plunking down on the sofa and immediately beginning to make herself a blanket burrito. "Bernard knows what he's doing, and Elle you seemed awfully _keen…"_ She gave her friend a meaningful look, and to her surprise this time Elle didn't pull a face—she _blushed._

"I think we can manage,"Bernard said, also noting Ellington's blush with a great deal of satisfaction. "Though, anytime you feel like lending a hand we could use your help."

"Nonsense!" Jacqueline waved her hand. "I don't want to disturb your flirti—I mean, your process. Yeah, your process! I'm sure I'd only jam up the works. You two get started, and I'll watch." She felt like she was chaperoning the two of them, and it was honestly a bit hilarious.

"Sure. You'll _watch."_ Bernard seemed to catch on to her angle and didn't seem too thrilled, but he figured changing her mind wouldn't come easily and he didn't want to upset Elle again.

"Watch us do a great job then, and lose out on all the credit," Elle teased, pulling out the boxes of ornaments they'd bought earlier that day.

"Ooh, touché."

Elle chuckled at her friend's antics, still wearing a blanket over her shoulders and trailing behind her as she carried everything to the coffee table. "You're hopeless. Why're you being such a Scrooge all of a sudden, hmm?"

"I'm not being a Scrooge! I just happen to have a _very_ capable team on my hands, who are willing to decorate _for_ me."

"Sure." Elle rolled her eyes. "I guess that means it's just the two of us bumping elbows then." She gave Bernard a little shrug before heading off down the hall. "I should probably get the ladder from the downstairs closet, come to think of it…"

"You shouldn't be carrying heavy things right now!" Bernard called, immediately hurrying after her to help.

"I've just got the sniffles, Bernard. I'm not pregnant," Elle laughed, then sneezed again. "On second thought...maybe I could use your help."

They returned shortly with a tall stepladder in hand, and Bernard set it up beside the tree. He had been right about the height; given the high ceilings in the living room, a nine foot tree looked proportionate and wasn't dwarfed by the size of the room. Elle peered up at it happily, already assessing where to start.

"Lights first, right?" She asked, and Bernard nodded. But before he could properly reply a voice from the sofa cut in.

"Couldn't we at least frost the tree? You know, like make the branches a little snowy before you put all the other stuff on?"

"No," Bernard said, a great deal more firmly than Elle could understand. "If you had your way this whole things would be hung with snowballs and icicles, wouldn't it?"

Jacqueline shrugged, but she was smirking. "Well…"

"Exactly. If you want a tree to look like that, use the living one in the front yard. Honestly, you'd frost something in your own home but pine needles in the carpet? _Oh_ no, that's too far." He shook his head in amusement before noticing Elle's bewildered look.

"What's all this talk of frost and stuff?" She asked, looking between the two now rather flustered beings. "How would we get the snow inside without it melting, anyway?"

There was a long pause during which Jacqueline looked like she _really_ wanted to defend her point, but Bernard was the one to reply. "Probably by sheer willpower alone. You know Jacqueline," he said, with an uncharacteristically uncomfortable laugh. He shot Jacquie a look and drew a finger across his throat, discouraging her argument. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes she returned to her magazine, and not for the first time Bernard wondered how on _earth_ she'd managed not to blow her cover thus far.

"You've got me there. And she's always the one calling _me_ stubborn." Elle shook her head, unboxing the lights and passing the first strand to him. "Would ah, you mind doing the honors? I'm not sure where to start, since my dad usually does this part."

"Sure." He hadn't taken the time to think about just how serious it was that Elle was avoiding her parents until then. Why was she so worried about what they would say? Were they angry with her for making her trip to Maine? What _was_ the Connelly family like nowadays? The way that she seemed to grow sad at the thought hurt him in a way he hadn't expected. It just didn't feel fair that even in this place, this reality where she was supposed to be happy, things still weren't perfect.

He came down from the ladder, working on the bottom half of the tree while Elle set about quietly unwrapping the ornaments from their containers. At some point, Jacqueline turned on the radio and soft Christmas music began playing in the background, improving the mood in the room considerably. Bernard realized that Elle was humming to herself, and found a smile creeping onto his lips at the sight of how relaxed she seemed. It had been a long time since he'd seen her truly calm—in fact, he wonders if he _ever_ had, until now.

Wordlessly, they fell into a rhythm of passing lights and ornaments back and forth. Halfway through he offered her a chance with the ladder, and she gave him a heart melting smile before climbing up and adding to the tree herself. Every time their eyes met she would cast her eyes away, growing pink around the edges and occasionally sneezing again. He couldn't help but find it endearing, since she clearly was trying to gain his attention but in the very subtlest of ways. He also was perfectly aware of how her breathing faltered every time their hands accidentally touched, and it did his heart some good to know that even now, he was still able to make her flustered.

Not that Jacqueline was much help. Apparently she was able to keep quite the close eye on them despite the ten foot space from her to the tree, and she kept making inappropriate noises and suggestions the entire time. As annoying as it was though, it did break the tension between him and Elle in a relieving IF not humiliating way.

"You guys missed a spot," she pointed out sometime into the fray of things. Elle paused, her hands still full of tinsel.

"Where? I thought I was doing a decent job of getting it even."

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Bernard added, taking a few steps back to get a better look at the whole tree at once.

With a completely straight face, Jacqueline pointed between the two of them and made kissing noises.

"Seriously, Jacquie?" With a scowl, Elle chucked her handful of tinsel directly at her friend. "Sorry about her," she said to Bernard with a massive roll of her eyes. "She's the worst sometimes."

"Just making a helpful observation!" Jacqueline chuckled out gleefully, swatting the tinsel to the carpet before it could land on her.

"Some help you are, peanut gallery." Elle sneezed again and gave him an apologetic look.

"Don't worry about it, I know how my _cousin_ can be," Bernard replied pointedly, shooting Jacqueline his umpteeth warning look of the evening. She didn't seem bothered in the slightest, giving him a knowing look that said she was very much sure he wouldn't have minded her suggestion if Elle had agreed to it.

"Not as bad as you two are acting like a pair of shy teens at a school dance. One of you ask the other to dance already, it's _painful_ to watch."

"Oh!" Elle gave an infuriated little stomp on the ladder rung, making the whole things sway dangerously. Bernard immediately grabbed it and steadied it out, finding Elle looking even more out of sorts. On a whim, he reached out and thought at her.

' _Just ignore her. I'm having a nice time, even in spite of her teasing.'_ He gave her a reassuring little smile as realization spread across her face.

"You know about my telepathy?" She nearly yelled, almost falling off the ladder a second time.

"Elle, calm down!" Jacqueline moaned. "I told him before you two even met."

"Jacquie, you know my parents have a rule about not telling anyone outside of the family!" The ornament closest to her burst into shards, and she almost fell for the third time.

"Why don't you come down for me, and we can talk about this," Bernard offered, beginning to really worry about her being up so high in her state. He offered her a hand and after a reluctant moment she took it, carefully climbing down.

"Bernard _is_ a part of my family. So see? No rules broken," Jacqueline explained with a simple shrug and smile. It seemed obvious when she put it like that.

"But…" Elle looked over at him, surprised to find him still holding her hand. She looked puzzled. "You're not scared of me? Of what I can do?"

"Not really. Jacqueline told me you're not dangerous, and you have your abilities under control. Besides, I don't have anything to hide, even from a telepath." That wasn't even close to being true, but it didn't matter. Elle seemed convinced.

"I don't make a habit of reading other people's minds, anyway. It's bad enough when the thoughts come _to_ me, I don't like seeking them out," she explained, finally letting go of his hand and taking a seat on other side of the sofa. She still seemed a little shaken by the news, but Bernard was determined to bring the mood back up.

"Well, I think that's enough for me." He looked up at the tree. "What do you say we light this thing up and take a look at our handiwork?" He gave her an encouraging smile that she couldn't help but return.

"Alright." He went to plug the lights in, and Elle felt a cold hand on her arm.

"Sorry if I was a bit too much," Jacqueline apologized, just loud enough for the two of them to hear. "I just didn't want to see either of you lose your resolve. You're awfully cute together, and I was worried B-Man might not make a move. Still am, to be honest." She cast a look over at the elf, and Elle went red.

"What do you mean? I'm the one making a fool of myself here," she said, fidgeting with the hem of her pajamas.

"Are you kidding me? He's the one lighting up brighter than any Christmas tree whenever you even look his way. It's fair to say he's pretty smitten—which isn't something I was expecting."

"You're seeing things."

"Am I?" Jacqueline nodded over at the tree and Elle found Bernard just standing up beside it, stretching a crick in his back. He looked to her and immediately broke into an endearing lopsided grin.

"Well? What do you think, Elle?"

Elle couldn't help but smile, a new hope blooming in her heart as she looked at him instead of the now fully lit tree. "Perfect, Bernard. Absolutely perfect."

* * *

 _ **SEVERAL PARTS IN HERE WERE OFFERED UP OR GIVEN TO ME AS STORY FODDER BY DANI AKA SAFYRESKY JUST POINTING THAT OUT FOR POSTERITY**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone who have been leaving such kind, lovely and supportive reviews on my work! It means everything that you are enjoying the story and the rewrite in general. I love to see people who are coming in from the original version to this one and finding it even more enjoyable! Thank you for your kindness!**_

 _ **Also as I was saying above Dani has been helping me immensely when it comes to Jacqueline and her personification so the fact that she's even remotely true to character is from her and the off parts are me. Just tossing that out to the universe!**_

 _ **As always, reviews and feedback are welcomed! Thank you for reading.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:  
I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	21. Chapter 21

_21._

Whatever Bernard had been expecting from Elle during the first few days of getting to know him again, it wasn't this.

He hadn't expected her to be so open and willing with him, to be so adorable and clearly _trying_ to charm him. Not that she had to try, since according to Jacqueline he quite clearly 'had it bad' for her best friend. He had expected all of the hesitation and standoffishness Elle had shown the first time around, but instead, she was soft and warm and inviting. He didn't even have any hesitation in admitting that he loved it.

But he was worried.

Why? It was all too good to be true. There had to be a catch to all of this at some point; the dream had to have a dark side. But wherever it was, it hadn't reared its head yet, and for that he was both concerned and grateful.

"Good morning, Bernard." He couldn't help but think that the simple words had never sounded so good as he came into the kitchen the next morning. He found Elle at the counter still in her pajamas and rosy from sleep, a hot drink in hand as she read through some sort of book. She smiled up at him, eyes kind and caring, and he felt a familiar warmth in his chest as he smiled back. He couldn't help but think that he wouldn't mind all of his mornings to be like this, from then on out.

"Good morning, Elle." He went and set about making something his usual morning cocoa, only to find halfway through he had an odd awareness of whatever Elle was drinking.

"Say, what is that?"

Elle looked up from her reading, surprised. "The book?"

"No, what are you drinking? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, gingerbread latte," she replied with a relieved smile.

"How do you make it?"

She looked vaguely worried. "Sure you want one? Jacquie told me they're not big on coffee here you're from."

Bernard's stomach seemed to reassure him that yes, that was exactly what he wanted. "Absolutely sure. If it's not too much trouble."

"Okay then, but I'll make it for you this time. Just so it turns out right." She led him through the steps of making the drink, her hands practiced and skilled in a way he hadn't realized he missed watching. She had been so skillful in the workshop, and it wasn't something he could easily forget.

In fact, one of the hardest parts of being around her now was how often he was reminded of who she used to be. He was the same; the same exact person he'd been before. But she was someone else entirely, and it was strange and invigorating to see how much happier she was—and oddly, heartbreaking. He missed the Elle he knew and loved, even if he was falling for her all over again.

"And there you have it." Elle set the drink on the counter in front of him, leaning on her elbows and watching him expectantly. "I'd let that cool a minute if I were you." She looked him up and down, noticing for the first time that he was already showered and dressed. So _he_ was what smelled so good. Oh hell, she was beginning to notice things like that now? She couldn't bring herself fully to mind. "You going somewhere this morning?"

Bernard nodded, folding his arms on the counter. "I've got some business to attend to," he said, and all of a sudden it was like someone flipped a switch with Elle. Her expression grew solemn and serious and almost as if she'd suddenly been sharply corrected.

"Right, of course." She leaned off the island and made her way back around the table. "I'd forgotten you actually came here for a reason."

Bernard looked at her, eyes worried. "So did I, with all the fun we were having yesterday." She gave a faint smile and looked back down at her book. He reached over and set a hand on hers, noticing her instant blush. "I had a really nice time with you, Elle."

She looked back up, inner conflict in her gaze. But before she could reply, Jacqueline came swooping down the stairs, yawning cavernously.

"Morning, lovebirds. Anybody made breakfast yet?" She caught sight of Elle slipping her hand away from Bernard's, and a sly smirk spread across her face. "I'll take that as a no, then."

"Didn't get to it yet, sorry," Elle apologized, her gaze shifting between her book and her drink.

"I've got to go out this morning. That should give you two some time to yourselves," Bernard explained, sipping at his drink. Okay, so coffee really hit the spot for him just then. That was odd, but he didn't give it too much thought.

"Sounds good. When will you be back?"

"Sometime after lunch, I think. Depends on how bad the traffic is on the way up." Jacqueline looked at him in confusion for a moment before realizing he wasn't _actually_ going _out_ , but going _up_ to the Pole. No doubt he was getting anxious about the state of things so close to Christmas and wanted to check and make sure Scott and Quentin had everything under control.

"Right. Well, good luck! And say hello to jolly old boss man for me, if you happen to see him."

"Will do." Bernard turned his gaze back to Elle for a moment, clearly reluctant to leave when something seemed to be bothering her. "I'll see you this evening?"

"Sure." Her reply was tense, and he thought he could see a slight tremor in her hand on the counter before he got up to leave. "Wait, Bernard!"

He turned back from the doorway. "Yes?"

"I forgot something. Wait here." Elle shot up from her chair and ran back down the hall, returning a minute or so later carrying the hat he'd loaned her the day before—in perfect condition, and freshly laundered. "I meant to give this back to you last night, but we got so distracted with the decorating," she apologized, brushing it off slightly, and he was too stricken with the domesticity of the moment to really mind.

"That's alright. I did loan it to you and all, there wasn't a time limit to it." He took it from her with a grateful smile and saw relief flood into her face, along with a new blush. They both stood there for too long of a moment, both hands on the hat and slightly on each other's before a giggle interrupted the silence.

"What's so funny?" Bernard asked, looking a little annoyed with the sprite. Jacqueline only smirked, pointing above them in the doorway.

"Did I mention that the salesman threw in some mistletoe when I bought the tree last night?" She grinned mischievously. "Should've known that stuff would come in handy."

Elle looked up at the ribbon clad sprig in surprise, but Bernard groaned. " _Jacqueline…"_

"How was I supposed to know it would be you and Elle who ended up in the doorway?"

"Who _else?"_

"Well, it's not like _I_ was the one insisting we decorate for Christmas," Jacqueline said sneakily, and Bernard rolled his eyes.

"Right, so this is our fault?"

"If you'd kissed sooner, this wouldn't be awkward!"

No one seemed to notice Elle's confused, then thoughtful, then determined look until she gently tugged on Bernard's sleeve. He immediately redirected his attention, less upset but still flustered. "Yes El—" His was cut off when she rose up and pulled him in for a soft, lingering kiss, her hands gently slipping around his neck. His shock barely had time to register before she was pulling away, flushed from ear to ear and dazed but also looking oddly satisfied, as if she'd answered something for herself.

"Merry Christmas." Her voice was breathless as she broke into a smile, setting his hat on his head and smoothing his jacket before patting him on the chest and stepping out from the doorway.

"And a happy New Year," Bernard murmured, still shocked but pleasantly so. There was a goofy amazement on his face that quickly had Jacqueline giggling.

"Damn Elle, don't hold back or anything." Elle simply shrugged, taking her seat with her cheeks burning. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her, she just knew that she'd been immensely curious and after all of Jacqueline's teasing, she'd figured why not?

"I just thought that if we kissed, you might stop teasing us about it," she suggested meekly, still stunned by her own presumptuous actions.

Jacqueline only grinned. "Not a chance, kid." The sound of the front door shutting made Elle look up, and she saw that Bernard had indeed left without any further comment. "He's going to have a _really_ good day today, I'll bet."

"I hope I didn't make him angry," said Elle fretfully, which caused Jacqueline to do a double take.

"And _what_ about his fawning over you makes you think a kiss would make him angry?"

"He's not fawning over me, he's being kind." She looked at the doorway and the mistletoe, a miserable feeling settling in her stomach. "Something he said this morning made me recall what I lost sight of last night."

"Remember what?"

Elle looked sadly at her friend. "That the reason he's here is because he's in love with somebody else."

* * *

The first thing that became clear upon reappearing in Elfsburg was that the storm was _definitely_ getting worse.

The courtyard was abandoned, harsh winds whipping at Bernard's coat and tossing snow around wildly. He immediately changed his mind and reappeared somewhere in the Workshop—his office, he realized with relief. The familiar, quiet surroundings gave him a moment to catch his breath and make some sense of what had just happened.

Elle had kissed him. Elle had _kissed_ him, quite of her own accord and without any prompting on his part. Was that a good thing? He didn't honestly know. Her behavior just before that had puzzled him, but then, when didn't she puzzle him? Maybe he was just overthinking the gesture because of how much he'd wanted it.

He sank down into his chair for a moment with a sigh, pulling his hat down and looking thoughtfully at the soft velvet. The past few days had been a whirlwind, almost every spare moment spent with her. Already he could feel himself falling back into the familiar pattern of having her near, and he worried what that was doing to him. What if things didn't work out? He'd have to unlearn her presence all over again, and that idea was enough to make him despair.

Still, he didn't have time for that. He groaned and got up, setting the beret back on his head at the right angle and making his way from his office to Scott's. He figured checking in directly would be the most efficient way of going about things.

He knocked on the door and heard Scott call out a muffled sound of approval before entering to find his boss having a late lunch. Santa looked surprised at the elf's arrival.

"Bernard! We weren't expecting you so soon," he explained, setting aside his napkin and rising from his seat. "What's going on? Has she remembered already?"

"Not quite," Bernard reassured him, and Scott's shoulders visibly relaxed. "I just wanted to make sure things were still running smoothly, and to pick up a few tools I needed. How are things? Quentin managing alright?"

"Pretty well, I'd say. Considering that we're a little behind for this time of year, he's doing a good job of keeping us on target." Scott gestured to a chair, where Bernard took a seat. He looked at the head elf, his expression growing keen. "Say, is that…"

"What?" Bernard found his boss staring at him in a peculiar way and began to wonder if Elle had somehow left a visible kiss print on him. He turned a little pink, swiping self consciously at his mouth.

"I hate to ask, but this seems to be a relatively new change for you. Is that stubble?"

"What? Of course it isn't…" Running a hand over his jaw quickly corrected his opinion on the matter. "What in the name of Christmas?" Bernard got up from the chair, stumbling to the nearest mirror and taking a good long look at himself. Sure enough, there were the faintest traces of a five o'clock shadow under his fingertips. "That's impossible."

"Well I doubt both of our eyes are deceiving us," Scott pointed out, settling back into his seat with an amused expression. "This is an interesting development, isn't it? Maybe all of this dating is finally making you show your age, Bernard."

"That is _not_ a good sign." Bernard's mind harkened back to the original idea he'd had about the Emissary Clause, how it might affect him if he didn't obey it. Mainly, if it would result in his becoming...dare he think it? _Human_ again. The idea made him shudder.

"Well you _did_ grow an inch or so this year." Scott's nonchalant tone made him stare. "What, you didn't notice that your pants got a little shorter than usual?"

"Guess it seemed more logical that I'd just shrunk them on accident."

"Huh. Well, it seems obvious enough now."

"Right." Taking a second look in the mirror didn't change his reflection, unfortunately. This put a whole other risky element into what he was doing.

"So what do you think it means?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He stared at Scott until he shrugged. "Really, Santa? Elves don't have stubble, do they?"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Scott grew very serious.

Bernard peered at himself again, noting with certainty that his sparkles were, in fact, fading— and that he'd lost a sizable portion of his naturally rosy elven complexion. "More like I'm _not_ saying it. I'd prefer not to give it more power than it's got." He sighed, coming away from the glass with a resigned expression.

"What do you think it all means?"

"Given that the Clause doesn't exist here?" Bernard shrugged, taking a seat. He felt more weary than he ought to, but maybe that was just the weight of the revelation talking. "No idea. Maybe some remains of it's magic are still in effect. Maybe I'm showing my age because of what I'm trying to do with Elle. There are all sorts of options—none of which I'm particularly keen on."

"I'm sure it doesn't make things easier," Scott muttered, running a hand down his beard.

"If it gets worse then I'm really going to have a problem. I don't much fancy having the physical urges of the average human male," Bernard said, almost grumbling. He scowled, staring at the fire for a moment before a loud clap of thunder overhead made both him and Santa jump.

"That storm is just getting closer and closer, isn't it?"

Scott nodded. "Luckily it doesn't seem to be affecting much. There have been a few power outages in outer Elfsburg but besides that, the damage has been minimal. It just is nerve wracking to have it literally over our heads like this."

"I'll bet." Bernard looked out the window at the dark, foreboding clouds. "If it really does have to do with the Event, then the sooner I make things happen with Elle the better."

"And how is that coming?" Santa asked with renewed interest, leaning forward. "Or should I even ask."

"No, you can ask." In spite of his efforts Bernard couldn't stop from smirking at the thought of what had happened that morning. "I'm making good progress."

"So you think you can actually tell her the truth before Christmas?"

The elf looked perturbed at Scott's lack of confidence. "You doubt me?"

"Well… no. Not you. Just maybe I doubt Elle's cooperation a little."

Bernard smiled outright. "I don't think we need to worry about her cooperating with me. She's different, this time around."

"Different in a good way?"

"In the _best_ way. Don't worry, Santa. I've got this well in hand."

* * *

"What do you mean by that?" Jacqueline looked at her friend's hopeless expression with outright bewilderment. "You just lip locked in the middle of my kitchen and you're telling me that he doesn't have feelings for you?" She scoffed, stirring her breakfast in disbelief. "Pardon my saying, but that doesn't exactly scream that he's in love with someone else." Not to mention, she knew for a fact that the only reason Bernard was there was for Elle—but she couldn't exactly just come out and say that, now could she?

"He told me the first night he was here," Elle explained, sounding very serious and not a little conflicted. "He's visiting to bring a work associate back North with him. But it doesn't exactly take a genius to see that this associate of his is someone he's close to in a romantic sense. Or rather, that they _used_ to be close. There seems to have been a falling out, but by the look on his face he's still got a lot of feelings for this woman." She pushed away from the table with a dissatisfied sigh. "So whatever _feelings_ you think he has for me is really just him being temporarily distracted."

"Elle...oh my god." Jacqueline groaned and smacked her head against the counter. "You're _really_ overthinking this—"

"No, I'm _not."_ She tapped the side of her head. "I'm the one with the gifts of perception, remember? I think I know when I'm right. And anyway, why do you care so much about me and your cousin? You seem too invested in what's been going on. It's making me uncomfortable, frankly."

"Because...I don't know. I thought you two were hitting it off. And let's be real. You're cute together."

Elle scoffed, but it wasn't as harsh as it should have been. "Whatever. I'm not going to get attached just to get let down. But thank you, for the effort. I know you've been trying to facilitate and I'm sorry it didn't work out." She got up and left the room, heading upstairs to get dressed.

"That's it? Conversation over?" Jacqueline called after her, beginning to get irritated.

"Pretty much. I've got some errands to run today and I've got to get going."

"Can we at least talk more tonight?" She followed her friend to the base of the staircase, looking up at her in exasperation.

"Of course. Just so long as we're not talking about this." Elle gave her a cheeky wink and hustled up the remainder of the stairs before Jacqueline could argue. The sprite groaned loudly, stomping back to her breakfast. She was _not_ looking forward to her next talk with Bernard. Not one bit.

In the meantime Elle quickly dressed and got ready, sneaking out the front door before Jacqueline could catch her and ask more questions. She didn't know what else to say, really. Her position wasn't one she was happy with either, since she really had found herself falling for Jacqueline's rather mysterious cousin.

It had been a series of little things, until the day before the Christmas tree farm. Something about the way he'd set his hat on her head had just made her insides go to jello, his smile warming her up to an embarrassing degree. Something had changed after that, and she knew it. She knew she wasn't just befriending him, and that feeling had continued well into the evening as they continued to flirt back and forth.

Or was it flirting? Maybe it was playful bantering, who knew. Elle knew she was very good at reading into things _too_ much, so she didn't try to entirely decipher the situation. She'd enjoyed herself and apparently he had too and she knew she wouldn't mind spending all of her free time with the young man that she'd misjudged so harshly—at least, until he went back North.

But it was becoming obvious that that wouldn't be possible. She needed to stay away from him, stop trying to get closer even though she wanted to. It was only going to hurt her to grow attached to someone she couldn't have, so the wise thing to do was to remain at a friendly distance, able to detach from her budding attraction to him. Besides, she had enough to worry about without adding a messy affair into things.

The snow outside had melted, replaced by a bone-chilling wind and frigid rain that discouraged her from walking home. She hailed a taxi and went uptown, spending the afternoon in quiet contemplation of all she'd learned from her trip. There was certainly a lot to consider, and even more to draw conclusions from now that she'd come home. She doubted she would be able to use the items she'd brought back with her until Christmas, but that was alright. It gave her an excuse not to be around her family that night.

Not that she liked avoiding her family, not by any means. But things were tense, to put it kindly. Unkindly they were terrible, and considering her long absence (and now, avoidance tactics) they were only likely to grow worse. The only thing she could think of that could really make the situation more hellish would be having to suffer through the Connelly family Christmas party, which was a joint affair between both her father and mother's companies and would no doubt be large and dull, just as it always was.

Her ideas of staying away from home as long as possible were rudely shattered when her phone began ringing nonstop later that afternoon. She kept declining the calls, but after six or so voicemails she gave them a listen and found bother her mother and father in alteration sounding very angry. She figured there was nothing else for it but to finally face them, so she dragged herself out of her safe haven and back home to face the beast she'd created.

* * *

Bernard returned home later in the evening to find Jacqueline alone, looking nervous and antsy.

"What's happened?" He asked, immediately knowing in his gut it had to do with Elle.

"Which bad news do you want first?" Jacqueline asked, twiddling her fingers anxiously. She was _not_ looking forward to his inevitable meltdown—or, if she wasn't lucky, temper tantrum.

"Great. There's more than one bad news?"

"Apparently. One's relevant to the both of you and one to Elle only."

"Tell me the one relevant to Elle only. It's more urgent, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"Call it elven intuition if you'd like. Now, spill."

Jacqueline sighed, scrolling through what appeared to be her phone. "According to Elle, Phil and Josie are going off on her. She's been home all afternoon getting ranted at and it sounds like they're reaching their boiling point—I mean, they're about to really lose it. We should probably go and break it up."

"Are you sure that's wise?" The idea of meeting Elle's parents for the first time in a confrontation didn't sit well with Bernard, even though the urge to come to her rescue was equally pressing.

"Not the best, no. But if push comes to shove we'll just bring Elle back with us and let things cool down." Jacqueline shrugged, getting up out of her armchair and going to fetch her coat and shoes.

"You seem remarkably calm about this," Bernard noted warily.

"Well, it's certainly not the first time they've lost their collective temper with her. But more than that, I guess I've just gotten used to the idea of them fighting. They don't exactly have a perfect marriage." Jacqueline didn't sound particularly impressed, which made him worry. Was Elle's family in more trouble than he'd realized?

"Still," Jacquie added, "they're good people. Can't be helped that they're the reason Elle's so darn stubborn. Guess she had to get that from somewhere, hmm?"

"I suppose. But I wish I could have met them under better conditions." Bernard followed her outside, where it was still raining. This time they walked, seeing as the rain had finally let up. The sidewalks and gutters were still damp though, making the venture a bit miserable.

"Teleporting would have been easier," Bernard pointed out, when Jacqueline shot him a testy look.

"Excuse me, but I'm the blending in expert here. Basically rule one is don't teleport somewhere you can't come back from. What if we missed and landed in the house? That would be _too_ difficult to explain. So, we walk."

"Alright, alright. Take it easy. I was just saying…"

"Well, don't." Jacqueline's mood had soured considerably, and Bernard realized that it probably had to do with the confrontation they were heading into.

"How bad should I expect this to be?" He asked after a few tense money of silence that was only punctuated by the sound of shoes on wet pavement and the occasional overhead crow.

"On a scale of one to ten?"

"Sure, why not."

"Probably an eleven. Let's hope it's actually an eight, though." Arriving at the house, Jacqueline went straight inside, Bernard following hesitantly behind her.

The last time he'd been inside the Connelly residence, it had been a small farmhouse in rural Hawaii. This, on the other hand, was a three story house with a three car garage and an impressively long driveway. Saying that it was imposing was an understatement, at least by conventional human standards. It had the feel of a small museum rather than that of a family dwelling, something he suspected had to do with Elle's mother's taste in decorating.

No sooner had they stepped beyond the threshold that the far off sound of a man's angry voice came to their ears. Jacqueline and Bernard exchanged a wary look, and Jacquie sighed before leading him in the direction of what he would eventually learn was Phillip's study. The door was partially open, and frustration in Elle's father's voice was clear and startling.

"...you go away for months at a time, without any explanation or even an apology! Do you have _any_ idea how irresponsible that is? We didn't even know where to look for you, if something went wrong! Your mother and I were out of our _minds_ with worry."

"I was _fine,_ dad." Elle sounded nonplussed and uninvested in the conversation. "And I think you're forgetting, I'm an adult now. It's not your job to micromanage everything I do."

"It _is_ my job to make sure my daughter is safe!" The sound of a hand slamming down on a wooden surface made Bernard jump.

"Ellington. _Ce n'est pas comme vous d'être aussi irresponsable."_ The voice of her mother was quiet, but stern. Bernard inwardly cursed the fact that he didn't speak French and looked to Jacqueline instead. But before she could mouth a translation, Elle replied in a way that explained well enough.

"Mama, I'm not _being irresponsible._ I needed some time to myself—"

"Some time to yourself _doesn't_ require you to go to the other side of the country."

"Well when you two overreact over the tiniest things, it kind of does!" Elle snapped back.

"Don't speak to your mother like that."

"I'm not apologizing."

"You do _not_ have the right to talk to us like this under our own roof, Ellington."

"Then I'll leave. You know, like I'm apparently so good at doing." The sound of angry approaching footsteps made Jacqueline and Bernard draw away from the door, trying to figure out where to go.

"Quick!" Jacqueline clapped a cold hand onto Bernard's shoulder and whisked them back to the front door in a swirl of snowflakes and blue light. Bernard shivered and looked around, finding himself just within the doorway.

"Good thinking. I don't believe her parents would be too happy to know we were eavesdropping," he muttered, brushing away a few stray snowflakes.

"Well it wasn't exactly a good time to burst in, what with Josie and Phil as ramped up as they are." The sound of a slamming door made both of them look up to find Elle storming towards them, slinging a bag over her shoulder with a dark look on her face. When she noticed them, she grew confused.

"Jacquie? Bernard? What are you doing—" her question was cut off by the sharp clicking of high heels and more angrily chattered French. She rolled her eyes, turning to face her mother once more. Josette looked vexed and angry, but at the sight of her daughter's friend and a complete stranger she cut her tirade short.

"Jacqueline," she sighed, almost sounding relieved. "Maybe you can talk some sense into her. She's being ridiculous! Avoiding us and not telling us what happened while she was away—"

"This doesn't _involve_ Jacqueline! I haven't told her anymore than I've told you!" Elle cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. "You know what, forget it. I'm gone." She brushed past both Jacquie and Bernard, heading out the front door with an angry stomp in her step. Bernard wanted to go after her, but found himself trapped instead in Josette's sights.

"And who is this?" The woman looked him up and down with an appraising glance, and it was almost impossible to tell what she thought of him.

"My cousin, Bernard," Jacqueline explained quickly, and Bernard gave her a respectful nod, removing his hat. But Jacquie was glancing out the door after Elle, more concerned about her wayward friend then the introductions. "Listen, Josie. Give Phil my regards and try to take it easy, okay? The both of you. I'll find out what I can from Elle and try to get her to chill out. Seems like she's being a little hotheaded." She grabbed Bernard by the sleeve, dragging him unceremoniously out the door. "Come on, we've got work to do."

"She's gone?" Bernard asked in slightly breathless confusion, when they made it to the end of the driveway and found it deserted. Before Jacqueline could reply though, a loud revving noise sprang up behind them. She whirled around and tugged Bernard out of the way, just in time to see a motorcycle speed past them.

"Elle!" Jacqueline cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled loudly, but the helmeted driver didn't turn her head or give any sort of acknowledgment. Jacqueline stomped in frustration, huffing angrily. "Frostbite, she's so stubborn!"

"Where is she going?" Bernard could tell that she wasn't headed in the direction of Jacqueline's house, and the idea that she might be leaving worried him immensely. "You don't think she's going back to Maine, do you? We should go after her."

"What?" Jacqueline looked at him in bewilderment before shaking her head. "No! No, she's going downtown to her flat, like she always does when she throws a fit. But there's no point in going after her, at least not until she's cooled down."

Bernard sighed and put his hands on his knees, still catching his breath slightly. "Okay, well. While we're still on the topic of bad news, what was the other thing you needed to tell me?"

"Oh, _right."_ The sprite ran a tired hand down her face, groaning. "This is really the icing on the cake. Elle thinks you're in love with someone else."

"What?" Bernard looked up sharply, genuine worry in his eyes.

"Apparently you told her you were here to 'retrieve an associate' or some nonsense, and she actually read into your analogy correctly. She knows you're in love...she just doesn't realize it's with her, and now she's determined to stay away from you."

Bernard let his breath out, his head drooping in defeat. "Perfect. Just perfect."

* * *

 _ **I hope everybody had a great Christmas, and a fantastic holiday season this far! Welcome back to the angst train. ALL ABOARD**_

 _ **Chapter uploads won't be as consistent as they were leading up to Christmas, but I still hope to keep updating every few days. Sound alright? We've still got quite a ways to go.**_

 _ **Reviews and feedback are always appreciated!**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	22. Chapter 22

_22._

Elle was too mad to think straight.

It was a miracle that she didn't get a speeding ticket on her way downtown, because she was nearly certain she'd been driving above the limit. It was also raining again, which was the worst possible time to be driving a motorcycle during late evening Seattle traffic.

It didn't seem to matter. She arrived at her flat damp and angry like a cat, leaving her sopping boots and jacket at the door and immediately going to turn up the thermostat. It was freezing in the oversized loft, rain beating at the windows and making a dull roar on the metal roof overhead. Flicking on some lights she went to the kitchen, turning on the kettle before going to strip out of her wet clothes.

When she came back, warm and dry after a shower, she was a little clearer minded. But only a little. It felt like this argument with her parents had been inevitable, after the Maine trip. Granted, there had been tension between her and them ever since she turned eighteen. It was like with her powers, they were afraid to let her out of the house, let alone to live a normal life. She hated feeling stuck in her own house and resented them for needing to control her so much—even if they had a good reason to want to.

But was it a good reason? Elle had her powers well under control: she never used her telepathy on others without permission, and never used her telekinesis in front of anyone outside of the family. Well, besides Jacqueline, and now Bernard. But that was different. Jacqueline was her best friend, and Bernard was...well...special? An exception. That felt right.

And that brought her mind back around to the subject of Bernard. Why was she so conflicted about her decision to leave him alone? Why did it bother her so much? She couldn't seem to make up her mind about her own feelings. Was she relieved or upset? Was it both? Regardless, the feeling was unwelcome. It made her uneasy and restless and she didn't like it at all. It made her hate the silence of her own flat and wish for the companionship and warmth of Jacqueline's house.

But that didn't change where she was now. She'd driven away, not paying any mind to Jacqueline's yelling after her, and now she had all the space she wanted. She could feel her friend, a cold yet comforting presence in the back of her mind, just waiting for her to be ready to talk—albeit waiting _impatiently._ There was also a new presence there, a sort of thread, when she focused on it. It was spun of silver and gold and flowed slightly when she tried to touch it. It worried her, but she was determined not to think about that new connection for some reason. Almost as if it felt forbidden in some strange, unspoken way.

So she went and poured herself a cup of tea, then tied her hair up and went to unpack her bag. She found among her things a folded up napkin with a messy doodle on it. A small smile crossed her lips, and she took the drawing to the far side of the loft. She turned on a few more lights, and some music. And then, she started working.

* * *

"She has a flat?"

It had been some time since Bernard and Jacqueline had watched Elle drive away and leave them without answers. Now, they were sat at the Connelly kitchen table, mugs of hot chocolate in hand at the hospitality of Mrs. Connelly herself. It wasn't exactly how Bernard had pictured becoming acquainted with Elle's parents—usually, the picture had a lot more of her actually _being_ there—but he wasn't complaining. Especially since, by some miracle, they weren't being hostile towards him.

Josette sighed, leaning against the counter on the opposite side. "That's what we think. She's never told us where it is, though. We think she got it sometime after she dropped out of school."

"I've never even been there," Jacqueline added with a meaningful look that Bernard understood meant that teleporting in wasn't in option. Elle sure wasn't making things easy, was she?

"It's not the first time she's threatened to move out. She did the same thing _last_ Christmas. Maybe it's the stress of…" Josette trailed off, clearly wary of talking about Elle's powers in front of Bernard.

"It's okay, Josie. Bernard knows about what Elle can do. She told him herself," Jacqueline explained, and Elle's mother seemed equal parts relieved and worried.

"That doesn't sound like her, but I'm glad that you're not confused by all of this," Josette said. She gave Bernard another curious look. "You're Jacqueline's cousin, then?"

"Something like that," Bernard said with a smile, casting a sideways look at the sprite beside him. Jacqueline gave him an encouraging little nudge, as if he should continue to gain Josette's good graces. "I'm in town on business, but it seems like I'll be spending the holidays with Jacqueline."

"How interesting." Josette took a seat opposite them, and Bernard couldn't help but feel just a bit more on the spot. "I know most of Jacqueline's family lives up North, but with her being an exchange student and all we don't get to see much of them."

"Coming to the states isn't something they do too often," Jacqueline said with a little laugh, and Josette smiled. "Though if they did, I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

"Of course."

"Mom, have you seen my…" A short blonde girl with braids came into the room, and Bernard couldn't help but be shocked to see this particular person again. She was a welcome, familiar face among all of the new, scrutinous ones—not that she remembered him, but that was becoming standard by now.

"Yes, Annise?"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize we had company," Annise replied timidly, shifting her feet nervously. The sight made Bernard frown slightly, since he wasn't used to seeing her react that way. Annise had always been relatively confident and outgoing, so what was this?

"Nonsense," Jacqueline said, waving a hand. She opened her arms and Annise's shyness immediately melted away, replaced by a smile. She came and hugged the sprite, clearly comfortable around her. It was then that Bernard realized _he_ was the reason for the awkwardness. _Brilliant._ "We were just talking about your big sister being ridiculous, that's all."

Annise laughed. "Which one?" When Jacqueline tapped the side of her head, the girl nodded. " _Ah,_ the Scrooge."

"That's a pretty strong choice of words," Bernard said, since that term was _not_ thrown around lightly at the Pole. Annise looked at him in mild confusion until Jacqueline spoke up.

"This is my cousin, Bernard. He's visiting for the holidays, and where he's from, well...let's just say the term 'Scrooge' isn't taken lightly."

"What, is he an elf?" Annise said with a snort, and Bernard choked on his drink. "He's short enough, anyway."

" _Annise!"_ Josette chided sharply, and Annise immediately looked repentant. Bernard waved his hand, but couldn't keep his eyebrows from lifting in surprise. He hadn't expected Annise to be spot on so quickly.

"Don't worry about it, I can take a joke," Bernard reassured Elle's mother, and the woman smiled apologetically. Jacqueline however, gave him an amused smirk that showed her own surprise.

"Still doesn't answer my question." Annise cocked her head sideways at him and for a moment, Bernard felt a smidgen of hope that just maybe…

"Annise, why don't you tell your sister to get ready to go. We're going out for dinner and it seems as though Ellington won't be joining us." Josette sighed, clearly not happy with her eldest daughter's disobedience as Annise nodded and left the room.

"Sure thing. Maybe mister Northern Lights wants to join us." Was this even the same kid he'd met the year before? Obviously not, because _this_ Annise was as sassy and curt at Elle could be. Not to mention, she seemed to be of a set mind about him.

"I am _so_ sorry about Annise," Josette apologized again. "I don't know what's gotten into her lately. It seems like Dottie is the only one acting herself nowadays." She shook her head and looked down at her cup in confusion.

"Don't sweat it, Josie," Jacqueline said reassuringly, reaching across the table to set a hand atop the woman's. "They're all just a bunch of unruly teenagers. They'll grow it of it, right? Well…" she looked thoughtful before laughing. " _Probably."_

Josette smiled in spite of herself, chuckling. "Seems like Ellington just became an unruly adult instead, which worries me even more." She looked at her daughter's best friend earnestly. "Do you think she's going to be okay, Jacqueline? In spite of how she's behaving? Phillip and I don't even know what to do with her, neither of us seem to be able to get through these...these _walls_ she's put up."

"Don't worry." Jacqueline threw a look at Bernard for a moment, one that Josette missed. "If she doesn't break them down herself, then I'm sure someone else will. It's just a matter of time, Mrs. C."

A heavy set of footfalls attracted Bernard's attention away to the doorway, where in a matter of moments Phillip Connelly soon appeared. This was perhaps the strangest thing Bernard had seen yet. The last—well, _only_ time he'd seen Mr. Connelly was when Elle was leaving her family for good. Or at least, what had seemed like 'for good' at the time. Elle's father had been close to death, thin and frail from ill health, but now, he was whole again. The man the elf saw now was healthy and capable and quite clearly, well off. It was strange to see him in a business suit and expensive watch instead of a hospital gown, but then Bernard remembered that Phillip wasn't at his lowest point anymore. It was just one of the good things to come of the bad thing Jack had done.

"Our reservation is still set," he said, looking up from his phone and becoming surprised. "Oh! Hello, Jacqueline. I didn't hear you come in."

"Kind of hard to hear me coming in when Elle made so much noise going out, Phil," Jacqueline said with a small chuckle. Phillip sighed and rolled his eyes, his gaze going to his wife. Josette looked away, clearly unhappy.

"Ah, right. Ellington's hissy fit." He shook his head, walking into the room and stuffing his phone and hands into his pockets. "Her lack of responsibility is surprising, but not unexpected. She's been a loose cannon since this time last year." His gaze moved beyond the sprite to Bernard, and his expression grew intrigued. "Who's this?"

"My cousin," Jacqueline said with a grin. "Bernard, this is Mr. Connelly. Phil, this is Bernard."

"Pleasure to meet you." Phillip offered his hand and Bernard shot up to shake it. He knew that the man was much younger than him, so he shouldn't have been jittery, but for some odd reason he was. With just a little bit more thought he would had realized that meeting the father of the girl he loved was indeed a bit nerve-wracking, but in the moment it didn't occur to him.

"The pleasure is mine, I'm sure," he replied politely, noting how Phillip seemed reassured somehow by his confident grip. There was an unspoken moment of approval, and then the questions began.

Bernard _really_ wished Elle could have been there. More than anything, he wished _his_ Elle—the one who remembered him—could have been. But maybe it was better for him to get to know her parents when he didn't pose the 'threat' a boyfriend or significant other might. He was just Jacqueline's cousin to them, and that made things a _lot_ less tense. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, after all.

"So what is it that you do, Bernard?" Phillip asked, and Jacqueline went silent, clearly interested to see how he was going to handle this.

"I'm in upper level management." The question came after a slight pause, during which he tried to calculate the thing closest to the truth that he could say without endangering the SOS.

"Oh? Didn't have you pegged for the type." Bernard wasn't sure, but he felt like he was being vaguely insulted. Perhaps it was because of the age gap that Phillip perceived between them—when in reality, the age gap went the opposite way of what he thought. "In what field?"

"Ah, toy production."

"Interesting. Mass produced?"

" _God_ , no. I like to think we put a great deal more care into our work than that." The note of disdain in Bernard's voice was apparently humorous to Phillip, who couldn't keep from chuckling.

"Alright, take it easy. I'm sure a young man like you is very passionate about his work."

Bernard was rubbed so far the wrong way that he almost spat out a sharp ' _I'm even more passionate about your eldest daughter'_ just to spite the man, but luckily Jacqueline set a hand on his arm.

"Well Bernard, as nice as this conversation is, you're already late for that thing you had, remember?" She gave him a meaningful look that took him a moment to fully read.

"Yeah, right. My ah, meeting." He gave Phillip and Josette both an apologetic and polite nod before climbing to his feet. "As nice as this had been, I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself."

"Of course. I can only assume a young entrepreneur such as yourself must have a lot on his plate."

 _More than you know,_ Bernard thought irritably as he tugged his coat on. Luckily, Jacqueline took care of the rest of the parting niceties, because he wasn't feeling particularly gracious anymore. His patience was wearing thin, he was more than stressed just thinking of the responsibilities he _wasn't_ taking care of back at the Workshop, and no matter how he tried to avoid it the fact remained that Elle seemed set on undoing the progress the two of them had made the day before.

"You alright, B-man?" Jacqueline asked, once they'd made it outside and poofed back to her place. Bernard kicked his shoe off, then the other, clearly in a state. "I'll take that as a _no_ , then."

"Of course I'm not _alright,"_ he snapped out, tanking his scarf off and then his coat in turn. "That wasn't something I should have been doing with you. Elle should have been there! But instead she's across the city and she might as _well_ be on the other side of the _planet_ for how much she understands what's going on…"

"Easy there." Jacqueline decided to try and calm him down, since quite clearly he was beginning to really lose control of his emotions. "There's no need to lose your cool over this."

"There is _absolutely_ a need to lose my cool over this!" He glared at Jacqueline in frustration, fists clenched at his sides. "Christmas is three days, and once again she's talking herself out of what's happening between the two of us! _Nothing_ has changed." He threw up his hands and stomped off into the house, still ranting. "I don't know why I even bothered. After meeting her parents it's only more clear to me that I'm not going to change her mind. We've just fallen back into the same pattern, and I'm never going to break her out of it."

"Where are you going?" Jacqueline asked, seeing him heading in a direction of the house she didn't frequent.

"To the garage."

"Why?"

"To work on something I _can_ fix!" The door slammed behind him, and Jacqueline cringed slightly.

"Frostbite, he's moody," she muttered, running a hand through her hair and accidentally icing it a bit. She sighed and turned back, deciding to be active on the Elle side of things if Bernard was set on moping.

* * *

Elle didn't come home that night. Nor did she hurry back the next morning; she took her time making her way back, especially since she had business to attend to in town. But sometime around nine am the next morning, she found herself strolling into Jacqueline's house with a brown paper bag in hand.

"Anybody home?" She called out, but the house was silent. She gave a little shrug, deciding to settle in while everyone else was away when a loud clang came from the direction of the garage. Intrigued, Elle went down the narrow side corridor and pulled the door open, peering in at whoever was causing all the noise.

She was a bit surprised to see Bernard hunched over one of the counters, a strange device over his eyes that resembled an amped up pair of glasses. At the sound of the door opening he looked up sharply, banging his head on the overhanging light fixture.

"You're back," he said, his voice slightly pained as he clutched at the back of his head. He set something down, looking up at her haggardly.

"I'm back." Elle came down into the garage, flicking on a few more lights. Bernard squinted, pulling the goggles up as she came closer. She tugged her sweater more tightly around herself, looking around at the room. "Aren't you cold out here? I can almost see my breath."

"Not really. Guess I didn't really notice the temperature."

"Huh." She came and peered over his shoulder, noticing that the counter was covered in tiny, mechanical parts and springs. "What's that, a watch?"

"It used to be." He sighed, taking the goggles off his head. "With any luck it will be again—and soon."

"You don't look so good." Elle frowned, coming a step or two closer and peering at him worriedly. His side project wasn't nearly as concerning as how worn out he looked.

Bernard snorted tiredly. "What gave it away?"

"Besides the fact that you're still in your clothes from yesterday?"

"Ah, right."

"Did you even sleep last night? Your eyes are red."

"That's not why… no, I guess I didn't." He pinched at the inner corners of his eyes and Elle couldn't help but note that he had almost explained there was another reason his eyes were red. Had he been crying? Was he upset? If his body language said anything, then yes.

"What happened while I was away?" Elle asked, her voice concerned and kind. Bernard quickly shook his head.

"No, my problems aren't important right now."

"Well they are to me, if they're making you this upset." Not for the first time, Elle wondered at her own forwardness. She sighed, looking away. "Look, I won't force you to tell me what's going on. But I do care, and I'm willing to listen if you feel like talking."

Bernard gave her a long, rather scrutinous look. "Only if you agree to explain what's going on between you and your parents," he said at last, and Elle made a dissatisfied noise. "Otherwise, we can both keep our secrets to ourselves."

She took a moment to consider before sighing and hopping up to take a seat on one of the free counters. "As you wish then. But you start first, my story can keep."

Bernard looked down at his project and nodded. "There's not much to tell," he said, sounding miserable and apathetic at the same time, an unwelcome combination. "You remember the associate I mentioned before?"

"Yes." Elle's tone lost a little of its volume in her reply, as well as its confidence.

"Well. With the way things are now, I'm beginning to feel my trip here was for nothing." He set a small tool in his hand down on the table, his jaw twitching slightly. "I had high hopes that I would be able to change things, make things right. Make different choices and create a better outcome, but...it seems no matter what I try, she's going to fall into the same patterns."

There was an irrational amount of anger in Ellington at that, and she didn't fully understand why. "That's not _your_ fault, it's hers," she replied, the note of bitterness in her voice not going unnoticed.

"It doesn't matter, I've given up. I'm tired of being the only one who cares what happens." It felt so very wrong to be saying that to Elle herself, when all he really wanted to do was to grab her by the arms and shake her, beg her to remember him. But that would have been even _more_ pointless.

"What about the contract that you told me about?"

"At this point, I might as well go back and tear it up myself. It doesn't mean anything if she won't want it."

"That's grim. Isn't there any hope left?"

"Always!" He slammed his fist on the counter, making Elle jump a little. "Always, just enough hope to keep me hanging on and hoping for something better. But don't you see? That's why I have to give up now, before I get too desperate for it. Before I let her hurt me the way she did when she disappeared the first time…" he trailed off, running a hand down his face. "I've said too much."

"You really loved her, didn't you?" The question came as a surprise to the elf. He knew she'd suspected him of being in love with his 'associate'—Jacqueline had made that much clear. But he hadn't expected Elle to confront him about it.

"I do." The change in tenses made Elle stiffen, then nod silently.

"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do to change her mind."

"So do I." Of course, she didn't understand how exactly spot on that statement was. The fact that he was the only one of them who truly felt the sting of what was going on just made the burden even heavier.

"So...what are you trying to do now, then?" Elle asked, breaking the long, heavy silence. "Since the reason you came here has turned out to be a bust. Are you going home?" She sounded worried, but he didn't flatter himself in thinking that.

"Not until Christmas Eve, at least. I figured I should enjoy the time I have left here, right?" He gave her a small smile, and Elle felt her heart ache for him.

"Come here."

Bernard looked tired and puzzled, but Elle beckoned him over. "Please, just...come here. I promise I won't bite."

Reluctantly he shuffled over to her, his bones aching slightly. Was that from standing still too long, or from the cold? He wasn't sure. Either way, the becoming human aspect of things was changing him in ways he didn't like. But that thought was driven from his mind as Elle gently reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in for a soft, warm hug.

"It's okay," she said, and _god,_ there were tears burning in his eyes again. It _wasn't_ okay. _This_ wasn't okay. He loved her, and he was never going to get to say it ever again. Not to her face, at least. There was no point, and that _hurt_ so, so much more than he'd planned for.

She tucked her face against his neck, holding him close. After a moment, his arms wrapped around her back, crushing her closer than she'd expected. His grasp felt desperate and trembling and she honestly wished she could have offered to be his rebound, right then and there. If only that wasn't so pathetic.

"It's doesn't feel like it's okay, Elle," he murmured against her shoulder, and she could have been imagining things but she could have sworn she felt a tear hit her sweater.

"Sometimes it doesn't, and maybe that's okay too. Because it means things can get better. Just not right at this very moment."

He held her a little tighter, and Elle felt nearly crushed. "I'm going to miss you, when I go," he whispered, and she couldn't help but think that was a strange thing to say to someone you'd only known for a few days. Still, she couldn't help but smile sadly.

"I'm going to miss you too, B." His fingers gripped into her thick woolen jumper and she frowned worriedly, afraid he really was falling apart on her. "Are...are you..?"

"I'm alright." He pulled back at last, leaving Elle feeling oddly empty inside. She didn't understand why she felt so attached when she'd barely begun to get to know him, really. Elle felt protective of him, and angry at this woman who was hurting him so. She couldn't help but feel like if she'd known where to find her, she would have given her a colorful piece of her mind.

She gave Bernard a sympathetic smile, wondering at how mournful he seemed when looking at her. It felt specific, as though there was something he knew about her personally that made him sad. "Hey, chin up," she said, gently lifting his chin with a finger. She looked at him keenly for a moment, as though searching for something below the surface. "There's...something special about you, you know that?"

He tilted his head slightly, a curious furrow in his brow. "How do you mean?" He of course had hopes for what she meant, but at this point he wasn't sure he dared to think them.

"I...I don't know how to describe it. I just have this feeling with you. A feeling I can't say I've had before, and the only way I can think of to put it in words is that you are something different. Something _important,_ and good, an...and…" She trailed off, going pink around the edges when she saw him smirking at her fondly. "A-anyway, what I was _trying_ to say before was that there are other fish in the sea. _Maybe you're just looking in the wrong places, you know?"_

That did him in. As if it didn't hurt enough for her to not understand that this, _all of this_ , was about her, she just _had_ to say that to him. Again. Just as she had all those months ago.

"Maybe," he agreed, and saw some sort of comforted expression creep into her eyes. Maybe in ways she didn't even realize, it meant more to her too. "Or maybe, what I really need is right in front of me."

Elle was surprised when he stepped in a second time and kissed her—as surprised, she'd warrant, as he'd been that very morning. Pleasantly so, but also, the situation was worrying. What if he was just using her as a means of distraction, instead of meaning it what he was saying and doing? It certainly didn't _feel_ that way, she mused, as a strange sense of peace and calm washed over her mind.

"I'm sorry," Bernard apologized when they broke apart. Maybe if he did things the same way as before… "I shouldn't have taken the liberty—"

"In all fairness," Elle cut in smoothly, opening her eyes with an amused look. "I _did_ kiss you first."

"But that was…" Bernard's confused look melted into realization, and then satisfaction. So she _had_ wanted to kiss him. "I _see."_

Elle couldn't help but laugh a little at that, her hands still on his shoulders. Where she sat on the counter had her just slightly taller than him, her forehead resting against his. He looked at her for a moment before smiling fondly, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"Now, enough about me. Why don't you tell me what's going on between you and your parents, hmm?"

"What do you want to hear, what I've been telling them and Jacqueline?"

"How about the truth? For starts."

Elle looked hesitant, then gave a slight sigh. The look in her eyes said that she was going out on a whim by explaining, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Okay. Let me tell you what's _really_ going on."

* * *

 **Sorry for the long hiatus! It's taken me a while to get this chapter into shape to publish. Hopefully I'll be able to reestablish a somewhat regular update schedule sometime soon! For now, I'm playing it by ear.**

 **A special thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and an additional thanks to safyresky for always being a pal and helping me with my writer's block. For real, a lifesaver. Also to QueenofDorks, or mellomadness on tumblr, for actually drawing me Bernard/Elle fanart?! Like? Wow. That's not something I thought I'd ever get to see if it wasn't me or Dani drawing it, so thank you times a million.** **:D**

 **Things get quite meta next chapter so put on your thinking caps for the next one. Reviews and feedback are ALWAYS appreciated, as always. Until then, hugs!**

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**  
 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	23. Chapter 23

_23._

"What do you mean, _you've given up?"_

Jacqueline glared across the counter at the elf in disbelief. A trail of frost coated the tabletop, halfway to him. Bernard, however, didn't seem bothered by her demonstration of outrage.

"Just what I said. I've given up on trying to make her remember. She just _isn't_ remembering, no matter how hard I try."

"Well that wasn't ever the _plan_ , Einstein! You were supposed to fall in love again, _the both of you."_

"You _know_ that wasn't working on its own."

"Um, yes it was? Or, it could have been if you let it. I _know_ my friend, Bernard. She _was_ falling for you, but then you opened your big fat mouth and told her a sob story! This never would have become complicated if you'd kept the details to yourself."

" _I didn't know what else to do!"_ Bernard almost yelled, and Jacqueline leaned back in surprise. He immediately looked regretful, sighing and turning his gaze down to the counter. "Listen, it wasn't working by playing mysterious, and I should have known that. How was she supposed to get to know me if she knows _nothing_ about who I am or what I'm doing here? So I had to scrap that idea and I was _trying_ to explain in as veiled a way as possible. But that went south too, so now, I had to recon that as well." He gritted his teeth in frustration. "I had to convince her that there was nothing else going on, at least for the time being. And in my defense, it's working."

"Then where is she now?" Jacqueline gestured around at the otherwise empty house, still greatly frustrated.

"Out. She said she needed to go out for a while, and she'd be back in a few hours. I didn't ask where, but she said I couldn't come with." Bernard gave a weary sigh, getting up from his stool. "I'm going to try and take a nap, my head's killing me. If she gets back before I wake up, she can come and get me."

"We haven't finished talking about this," Jacqueline protested, her gaze growing worried. "You mentioned tearing up her contract entirely. That's...that's _drastic_. Are you sure that this is really _that_ bad?"

"No," he admitted, turning back in the doorway. He looked up at the lintel and saw the sprig of mistletoe still in the place it had been the morning before. "I have no idea what the right thing to do is, at least until she tells me what all of this is about. I should have answers for you tonight—real answers, the ones we're looking for. About what happened in Maine, what it is she's _actually_ trying to do. After that, we can figure out what the best mode of action is. And _until_ then... yes. I've given up. Does it make sense now?"

Jacqueline nodded, seeing that he really was as tired as he said and knowing that however she felt about what he'd told Elle, it wasn't going to change anything for her to yell at him about it anymore. "Sense _enough,_ " she corrected, letting out a dissatisfied sigh before shaking a finger at him. "I'll take your word for it. But so help me Bernard, if you mess this up just by making assumptions I'm going to be really, _really_ —"

"Upset. More than you already are. Noted." Bernard left, feeling well lectured but too tired to really be truly miffed about it. Jacqueline really _was_ older than him in a technical sense, but he'd been more of a mentor to her until this point. Seeing and hearing her so vehemently outspoken about his personal affairs was a new side to her that he hadn't witnessed before, and he wasn't sure he was ready for it.

Bernard had already told Scott he had things under control. The day before had made him feel like he'd completely lost that confidence, and while the events of that morning had fixed some things, it had created more questions than answers. He took off his shoes and crawled between the sheets, weariness hitting him full force. Maybe all of the details and thinking could wait until later…

* * *

Meanwhile, Elle was considering a dilemma of her own making.

She'd told Bernard she would explain what was really going on. She'd _promised_ to give answers for why she was acting so strange, and she didn't want to go back on that. In fact, the idea of telling _someone_ what she was doing felt relieving, and that worried her. Was she being too careless with her plan by sharing it with him? She didn't think so. It wasn't as if he could _stop_ her, if he disagreed with it. She was the telepathic one at any rate, if he threatened to tell her parents or Jacqueline, she'd just wipe his memory entirely. No harm done, right?

She was worried that she was being irrational, maybe letting her feelings get the better of her. After all, now that Bernard's 'associate' was out of the picture—every time she remembered that she was filled with an unholy satisfaction—he seemed more than willing to put all of his attention on her, and she had to admit she _liked_ it. She liked it when he kissed her and put his hands on her so gently and she didn't want him to go away when Christmas was over. Reconciling her feelings for him with the reality of his impending departure wasn't proving to be easy, and it worried her. He made her feel things that she didn't understand, and all she could do for now was add it to the large pile of things she was trying to unravel for herself.

As it were, her family seemed to have gotten her message loud and clear, as no one was pressing for answers anymore. The only things she'd gotten was a voicemail from her dad, reminding her that the registration on her motorcycle was due and to let him know if she wanted him to pay it, and a text from her mom telling her to make sure and pick up a dress for the family Christmas party. It felt as if for the time being, her parents were letting the subject drop, and that was a relief. Especially since Dottie had texted her an angry message the night before, sarcastically thanking her for putting mom and dad in a bad mood.

She just wanted the holidays to blow over without the fuss the previous year had had. Granted, she'd been the main problem last year, and that wasn't pleasant to think about either. So she made a mental note to pay for her bike and find time to go dress shopping (perhaps with Jacqueline? She was smart about shopping for that kind of thing) sometime _after_ her engagement with Bernard.

That was an odd way of putting it, she thought, frowning into her coffee. Her _engagement_ with Bernard...no sooner had she thought it that she was struck with a sharp pain to the head, causing her to cry out and spill her drink. Luckily, she was alone in her flat, and no one else was there to care as she got up from the table and immediately set to work, picking up a pencil while still in a daze.

She came to herself about an hour later, finding a half finished piece in front of her. She frowned, not yet able to make sense of the muted colors and shapes, but she knew that it would take more time than she had to get the rest of it finished. So she threw a tarpaulin over the easel and left it, deciding that now was as good a time as ever to bring Jacqueline's cousin in for the explanations she'd promised.

A few minutes later and she was outside of Jacqueline's house, gazing up in surprise at the warm white Christmas lights now lining the eaves and windowsills. Had Bernard been busy since that morning, or had she simply been too distracted with her own thoughts to notice? Either way, it didn't seem to matter. It was early evening, and they had just been switched on recently. They looked...nice, even expertly hung. But as staring at them for too long seemed to make her headache worse, she shook her head briskly and went indoors.

To her small relief, Jacqueline wasn't home. It wasn't as if her schedule completely revolved around what Elle was up to, after all. She had her own life and such and Elle didn't even know that half of what her best friend got up to when they weren't together. That was alright though, as Jacqueline didn't really know they half of what Elle was doing in the first place.

A note on the kitchen counter told her that she could find Bernard upstairs and that they should "try not to get into trouble, you crazy kids". Typical Jacqueline, really. She always did have a habit of mothering Elle, though the girl often tried to brush it off. With a sigh, Elle climbed the staircase and knocked on the guest bedroom door, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Was she nervous? After all this time she'd had to prepare? Maybe just a little. She hadn't even planned on telling anyone what she was up to until _after_ she'd finished her project. Telling him made her vulnerable to failure, but she didn't want to think about that. Besides, it felt oddly right to tell him. Almost like she _needed_ to.

' _Come in.'_ It took her a moment to realize that he'd said that in her mind again and not aloud. He made it seem effortless, their mental communication. No one she'd been around with her telepathy had been so relaxed and even confident with the idea. It made her feel safe, somehow, knowing that he trusted her and that she wasn't quite so crazy as she often thought she was.

She pushed open the door to find a rosy cheeked, still drowsy Bernard rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Oh. Oh _that_ was cute. She couldn't seem to stop herself from smiling at the sight of him.

"Sorry to wake you," she said, retreating slightly behind the door, but he waved her off.

"No no, it's fine. I was just passing time until you showed up anyway. It's...kind of odd really. I'm not used to getting much sleep this time of year." The idea that he was feeling the fatigue more from the effects of whatever was going on with the remnants of the Emissary Clause was not a welcome one. He didn't like the reality of him becoming human, even though it didn't pose a long term threat. Either he'd work things out with Elle and things would go back to normal, or he'd go back to the Pole alone and tear up her contract, and he'd be fine. It was only a temporary problem, really, but it still brought a slight frown to his lips.

It felt strange to Elle, knowing that he actually did reciprocate the attraction she had been feeling and also knowing that she didn't have to hide it from him anymore. It felt...strangely open. Honest. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, but realistically it wasn't a bad spot to build a relationship on. He stopped looking troubled and smiled up at her, Elle's heart doing an odd flutter.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to take so long. I just needed to clear my mind for a little while," she said apologetically, tapping the side of her head.

Bernard sat up on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside him. "It's okay, I'm sure there's a lot you needed to sort through. And you apologize too much, you know that? These are perfectly fine things for you to be doing."

"Sorr—" Elle cut herself off with a sigh and a small smile, coming over to sit down. She had the odd urge to lean against his side, but didn't. "Guess I'm just feeling a little guilty about dragging you into my mess, that's all." She stared down at her fidgeting hands, unsure of how to go on.

"Well, considering how you haven't even wanted to tell your own parents or best friend about whatever it is you're going through, I'm not surprised." Bernard looked over at her, able to feel the inner conflict coming off of her in waves. It had been a long time since he'd felt the direct effects of her telepathy, and it wasn't exactly unwelcome. It was pleasantly familiar, even if the emotion of it wasn't too great.

Elle looked over at him, a mildly confused and bewildered glint in her eyes. "What—how...how do you do that? How are you so understanding?" She asked, sounding a bit suspicious. Seeing that he seemed confused and taken aback by the question, she shook her head and rephrased. "I mean, how are you so open minded and willing to listen to me?"

"Is that really such a shock to you?" Bernard asked, not sarcastically but genuinely wondering.

"Well…" Elle took a moment to think before replying. "I mean, my parents _want_ me to talk to them but when I do they change my words and tell me how to feel about things. My sisters are kind of the same way and Jacquie, well, she thinks I'm crazy half the time." She laughed softly, but it was clear how the idea upset her. "So, in short I guess, yes?"

Bernard nodded, but couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest at both her question and reply. She'd always questioned his sympathy, even before any of this had gone wrong. He didn't know how else to explain why else he was doing what he was other than to say 'I love you', but knowing that that wasn't an option drove him to find other words. He reached over and took her hand. "Well, I guess I'm just an exception," he said with a small shrug. "But that doesn't mean I'm any less sure that I'm ready to listen, whenever you want to talk. I won't pressure you."

"And that's yet another thing that makes you different." Elle looked down at both of their hands, that strangely familiar sense of calm passing over her again. Like this had happened before, or...or something like it. A peculiar sense of deja vu that was specific to him and him alone. But that didn't seem something she could say aloud. "I suppose I should stop stalling and answer the question you asked me earlier. But I'll warn you again, it's complicated—and, to be honest, you probably won't look at me the same way once I've told you." She seemed very bothered by that idea.

"I doubt that," he replied, but Elle looked at him, chewing her lip worriedly.

"Well, it would be more surprising if you didn't." She got up and offered him her hand. "Do you trust me?" She reconsidered after a moment. "Well, enough to take a leap of faith at least."

"Seems to be a recurring theme for me lately," Bernard said, getting up and taking her hand. Elle seemed to visibly calm at the contact, and he held her hand a little more tightly.

"Right. Let's go then?" He'd assumed that she was going to walk out of the room, but before he could question her he felt the familiar tug of teleportation on his body and his eyes went wide. _No._ There was _no_ way she'd hidden that from him and Jacqueline until now.

"Hold on tight," she said, giving him a little wink.

"Elle, what are you—" Before he could truly voice his alarm they both vanished, leaving his bedroom with a shower of silver sparks.

* * *

They reappeared somewhere warm, flopping down onto something soft and cushy. It took Bernard a moment to realign himself and realize that he was horizontal and not upright at all. Then the sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention and he looked down to find Elle flushed and slightly awkward, trapped between his elbows.

"S-sorry," she apologized, looking away in embarrassment. "I ah, must've aimed a little off."

"Don't worry about it," he replied on reflex, still a little struck by the situation before he removed his gaze from her lips and sat up. It was then that reality struck again and he frowned. "Wait, rewind a minute. You just teleported us? You can _teleport?_ That isn't something Jacqueline mentioned you being able to do."

"Yeah, well." Elle rubbed at the back of her neck worriedly, sitting up beside him. "I didn't exactly mention it to her—or anyone, for that matter. You're kind of the only person who knows about it. Are you mad?" He might have been, had it not been for the wide eyed, worried look she was giving him. He sighed and shook his head.

"No. I'm not. Just a little surprised, is all."

Elle let out her breath in relief. "Well, that's good. There will be plenty for you to be surprised about later, after all." She looked around and smiled a little. "Anyway, we made it."

"We did?" Bernard looked around and found them in an open air loft, all one room save for a part that seemed to be curtained off. The air was slightly chilly, and smelled vaguely of paint thinner and coffee. It looked lived in, but in a tidy and comfortable sort of way. It was then that he realized that they had indeed landed on the bed. Talk about a fortuitous landing if they had to arrive lying down. "Oh. Oh _wow. Okay."_

"I'll admit I brought you here this way just in case things go south," Elle admitted, which Bernard realized was actually quite clever and nothing less than he should have expected from her. "I don't exactly want you knowing where this place is, and this seemed like the best way to keep it from you."

"I won't say that that isn't a little shady, but I'll go with it." He offered her a hand up this time and she smiled and took it, then kicked off her shoes.

"Make yourself comfortable, then. I'm going to turn the teapot on—this is going to take a while."

He nodded and watched her scurry off to the kitchen, noticing how she seemed equal parts nervous and excited. Maybe it was a weight off of her shoulders to finally speak to someone about all of the secrets she was hiding. Regardless, he found her vaguely jittery behavior rather endearing. While she was busy, he took the chance to take another look around the flat. It seemed to be a sort of haven, a home away from home and he could finally understand why she came here when she couldn't deal with her family or even Jacqueline. It felt safe, and that was something he suspected she needed a lot when her own mind was sometimes her worst enemy.

"This is nice," he told her, as she came away from the kitchen area with a hopeful expression on her face. She was honestly a little eager to see what he thought of the loft, as it was perhaps her favorite place to come to. "Did...did you set this place up all by yourself? Your parents and Jacqueline didn't seem to know about it."

"Yeah," Elle admitted with a slight laugh, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. "The telekinesis is helpful with moving things, after all. I just really needed a place of my own, you know? Some place where my work could be completely private and not subject to my mom and dad or sisters or even Jacquie's prying eyes." She sighed, looking at the ground.

"They do mean well," Bernard pointed out, looking down at his own feet and realizing that he hadn't even had a chance to put his shoes on before Elle had whisked him out of his room. No matter. The less note he made of it the more likely he was to get home without blowing the fact that he too could teleport. "They love you and care about you a lot. Surely you don't blame them for being concerned."

"Of course not!" Elle shook her head at the notion. "It's just that I can't give them the explanations they want, when they do come after me about things. They wouldn't believe me, even if I did."

"What's so unbelievable about what you're doing?" Bernard asked, even though he had a nagging suspicion he would come to regret asking so bluntly. Elle seemed to like the question though, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Do you really want to know?"

"That's why I'm here isn't it?"

She chuckled. "Good point." She leaned away from the counter and came over to him, for the first time being the one to take his hand. Her shy expression made his heart melt as she tugged him gently in the direction of the heavy curtain. "I think showing you is a good place to start then."

Seeing that it was now dark outside and the only part of the flat lit up were the bedroom and kitchen areas, this side of the room was quite black. The paint smell had increased as she pulled back the curtain, but it was too dim to see anything even with his keen elven eyes. But then she leaned over and plugged something in, and the area lit up with lights, revealing a symphony of warm, bright colors in every direction.

"This," Elle said with a simple little gesture. "This is my project."

Bernard wasn't sure what he had expected to see. He wasn't sure what he'd expected her project to be, or what she'd been ready to explain. But this wasn't it. In front of him, to the side of him; on both of the walls and on easels and especially hanging from the ceiling by red string, were countless _paintings._ They were beautiful, sure, but strangely muted. The colors and shapes were blurred, as if looking through foggy lenses or possibly frosted glass. But what shocked him most was the fact that in spite of the lack of focus, he _recognized_ the images.

Elle was painting the Workshop. She was painting the Pole, she was painting Elfsburg, and she was painting her memories.

And, he realized, looking over at one particular corner of the room, she was painting _him._

"I know it's a lot to take in," Elle explained apologetically, clearly a bit nervous to be showing her work. "And, I know it's not exactly typical in any sort of style, but...it's really all I've got."

"It's _beautiful_." His eyes were wide, looking around at all of the images. There was her room in the Workshop, and there was one painting he was pretty certain was his living room. It made sense that she'd remember that place especially well—at least, that idea comforted him.

Elle watched him take in the surroundings with a strange flutter in her pulse that she could only attribute to nerves. Oh god, was he going to think she was crazy when she explained all of this? Probably, and the idea made her feel sick to her stomach. But a bigger concern quickly swept that idea from her mind. She frowned worriedly, leaning in a bit closer. "Bernard, are...are you crying?"

"What?" He tore his eyes off of the furthest wall and looked back at her only to realize she was right, he was a bit misty around the edges. "Ah, it's nothing," he said, swiping under his right eye with a thumb. She set her free hand on his arm, clearly worried, but he didn't make a thing of it. "This is, um, incredible. All of it."

"Once you hear the explanations you might not think so much of it."

He smiled, looking around at the art before turning back to her. She remembered. After all this time, Elle still _remembered_ —even if she didn't fully know why. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I highly doubt that." This changed _everything._

* * *

"When I was little, I had dreams." A little while had passed. The tea had gone off and they both sat with hot drinks on a sofa that they'd pulled close to the art corner, as Elle called it. It seemed that the explanation wasn't going to be simple, which was to be expected, and honestly at that point Bernard wanted to know everything about what was going on for _her._ He wanted to finally know how she'd been experiencing her side of the Event, with as little memories as she seemed to have. It was incredible that finally, she seemed to be willing to tell someone—and that person was him.

She did seem to be a little shy and cautious as she began, no doubt anticipating his disbelief. "And I don't just mean normal dreams of outer space, or reliving daily memories, or whatever kids normally dream of. I had really, really vivid dreams—so much so that when I was small, I had a hard time telling what was a dream and what wasn't. The main problem with that was that I couldn't _remember_ what I'd seen after I woke up, so I could never explain why."

She sighed, looking down and fidgeting with the edge of her blanket. "Naturally, my parents thought I just had a really overactive imagination, until I got older and I was even more convinced that the dreams were something more. I started saying things like I wasn't sure what was real, or that I was probably just dreaming, so it didn't really matter what happened. I even got hurt several times from being careless, simply because I was so sure that I didn't...I don't know, belong here? That real life was a dream? Obviously at that point my mom and dad knew something was seriously wrong and took me to the psychiatrist."

"That can't have been fun."

Elle gave a little laugh. "No, it wasn't. Especially since I was only seven when I started going, and holding still and talking about my emotions for hours at a time was excruciating." She looked up at the paintings above, seeing a bit upset by the memory. It did seem rather awful that Phillip and Josette would force their child into that sort of situation at such a young age. It honestly made Bernard rather angry, and he almost wished he'd known about this sooner so that he could have given Mr. "condescending" Connelly a piece of his mind.

"I went between three different doctors and I'm the end I was diagnosed with everything from depression to multiple personality disorder to dissociation and PTSD. I was seven! And I'd had a normal childhood, without any major traumas. There was no reason for me to be so messed up. My parents thought so too, and decided that maybe seeking professional help had been a bad idea. So they let it drop, and I kept having dreams I couldn't remember or explain—I just learned to keep my mouth shut about them. It wasn't exactly the best point in my life." Her expression grew dark before she forced a laugh. "Luckily I met Jacqueline not long after that fiasco, otherwise...well. I think I might not have turned out so well." She gave a small, worried smile, and looked down at her hands.

"Anyway, fast forward ten years and I started having chronic migraines on top of the dreams. It went on for a few months before I eventually ended up manifesting my telepathy, and the dreams stopped. For both me and my parents it seemed like maybe this was why I'd been so strange, you know?An unusual explanation, but one that made sense. My mother even said that her side of the family had history with strange cases like me every few generations, though she wouldn't say if it was telepathy or something else. I didn't bother pressing for details when I was already so overwhelmed."

Bernard nodded.

"At any rate I was lucky they didn't cart me off to the psych ward when they saw me levitating things and reading minds. I'm _really_ lucky, actually. Even if they did...you know...make me go to all those awful doctors, I've been surrounded by people who have protected me instead of shunned me for my differences, and I think that's why I feel so guilty that I haven't been able to tell them what I'm doing…" It was obvious from her tone of voice and the way her shoulders sagged that lying to the people she cared about and loved was an incredible weight on her.

"It's okay." She looked up at the sound of Bernard's voice just in time to see him set his hand atop hers. "I'm sure you had a good reason, didn't you?"

Elle nodded and rubbed at her nose, her eyes glossy with tears.

"Okay then. I'm sure they'll understand when you do explain." With a slight thoughtful frown he pulled out a handkerchief and passed it to her, suspecting that he hadn't seen the last of her tears yet.

She thanked him quietly and gave a little laugh, swiping at her eyes. "I've spent the whole year lying to and avoiding them. I don't know if they can forgive me for that."

"I think you might be surprised. They do love you, you know. It's easy to overlook even really big things when you care about someone." He could tell that he wasn't fully convincing her, but he still thought it important to say—even if she didn't understand how he meant it personally.

"Well, that's how things really got started. Because once my telepathy kicked in, the dreams went away for awhile. I just never told anyone when they came back—and when they did, they weren't just dreams anymore. They come in flashes, even when I'm awake. What's more, I can _remember_ them. Granted, they're a bit less vivid than before. Now whenever I have them it's like looking through a clouded lens or something, and if I hear anything it's like listening from the bottom of a well. But I remember when I snap out of it, and that's why I started painting. I needed a way to visualize what was in my head. That's why I got this place, and that's why I dropped out of school. I was having these bursts of realization at really inconvenient times, and painting in my spare time when I wasn't busy at home or with Jacqueline wasn't enough. It was hard to make time at first, but once I figured out I could teleport it got easier. I spend most night here now, even when my parents think I'm home in bed."

"Are you sure that's healthy? Doesn't sound like you'd get much sleep that way."

Elle shrugged. "Guess I just don't feel the tiredness like I should." _That_ sounded familiar. "At any rate, I made great progress. And then, on my last birthday, things got even _more_ strange." She made to get up before pausing and looking at him with concern. "Are you keeping up alright? I must be talking a mile a minute here, should I slow down or..?"

"No, it's fine. I'm keeping up," Bernard assured her with a wave of his hand, though he had to admit his head ached from the sudden infodump. Or maybe that was Elle? It was possible that their mental connection was returning now that they were so close and even occasionally communicating with her telepathy.

"Okay, if you're sure." She got up and went to one of the desks lining the wall, opening a drawer and pulling out a small wooden chest. Then she untucked a chain Bernard hadn't noticed before from around her neck, with a small key on it, and with the key she unlocked the small brass padlock on the box. "This thing is almost as strange as I am," she admitted. "It kept following me around everywhere until I found this chest in Chinatown. The shop owner told me the chest would keep it in one place so long as the lock was closed—at least I'm pretty sure that's what he said, my Mandarin isn't perfect—and thankfully, he was right. At least so far."

"Impossible." For the first time in her long explanation, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not that Elle spoke Chinese, or that the chest was that incredible (though, he could have used one like it long ago if things were as they seemed.) He didn't dare to hope until Elle turned around with a small, worn, red velvet box in her hands and a very fond expression on her face.

"I just got so paralyzingly worried I'd lose it somewhere, you know? With it popping up all over the place I could have lost it so easily, and...are you alright?" Elle found Bernard looking pale and close to tears, which just seemed all wrong for him. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Was it something I said?"

"No, it's just…" He felt a crushing sense of guilt over the fact that she'd been trying so hard to preserve what he'd been throwing carelessly away from himself for so long. It broke his heart in a specifically painful way, since he'd been certain that the ring box hadn't made the dimensional shift with them. "Keep going. I'm alright."

"Are you sure? If you want me to stop I'll—"

"No!" The word came out a little too sharp and Elle jumped. Bernard guilt almost doubled instantly. "No, I'm sorry. It's fine, I'll be fine. Keep going?"

Hesitantly, Elle came and sat down beside him. "As you wish." It took her a moment to get comfortable and find her train of thought again before she went on. "Like I was saying, it showed up on my bedside table on my eighteenth birthday and I was beyond puzzled about what it meant. I still am, to be completely honest."

"How do you mean?"

"Well besides the fact that it's a ring box and I'm quite frankly as single as humanly _possible_ ," she said with a pointed look, "I can't open it."

"Really." Bernard held out a hand. "Can I see it?"

Looking at his hand worriedly, Elle hesitated. "Promise you'll be gentle?"

Bernard gave her a smile. "Yeah, okay. I promise." She passed him the box, a strange electric tingle passing up his arm as they both held it for a moment. Then she let go, and it was gone. He wondered if she'd felt it too, but if so she didn't show it.

"It's become another mystery, and the one that really turned me onto the idea of magic. No one else can see it other than me, yet it's tangible, _unlike_ my dreams. And if that doesn't scream magic then what does?"

It took a moment for her words to sink in. "Wait, did you just say that no one else can…"

"See it?" She finished, and nodded, a gleam in her eyes. "Mhmm."

"But I can."

"Yep."

"And you aren't surprised by that?"

Elle shrugged, giving him a sideways look. "What can I say? I told you you were special. I just had a hunch you'd be an exception." She grew thoughtful. "You've been an exception to a lot of things, really." It occurred to her that maybe that was a good thing, because it was letting her finally open up to someone about everything—even if that person was mostly a stranger, who would more than likely be spooked by her when all this was said and done.

Bernard was still looking at the box. "Funny thing about exceptions," he said, his expression unreadable. "They don't always work out the way you hope." He tried to open the box for himself, but found that the lid would not budge in spite of his best effort.

Elle seemed a little disappointed too. "Well, that's alright," she said, though she sounded a bit saddened. Quickly though, she tried to pick the mood back up. "It probably won't tell me what I need to know, anyway. I have another plan for finding the answers I need."

"Oh?" He realized that she'd really only halfway told her story, even now. "It has to do with what you did in Maine, doesn't it?" He asked with a sideways glance.

"Mhmm." She seemed to grow very excited, getting up again and pulling what appeared to be a suitcase out from under one of the chairs in the room. "Going to Maine was the best decision I ever made, really. I went on a whim and the advice of an old family friend and even though my parents weren't thrilled, I can't say I care very much."

"That's a strong statement," Bernard said in surprise, and Elle turned back to him holding a silken purple bag, a determined look on her face.

"For the first time in my life, I don't feel crazy anymore. So yeah, I'm pretty certain that it's the one decision I've made that I don't regret." She came and sat down again, and once she and the bag came close enough to him he could feel the pull of whatever was inside of it. A _magical_ pull.

Had Elle really found the magic she was looking for?

"I went to Maine not knowing what I'd find. I didn't expect to be able to explain my telepathy to anyone, or what I'd been growing up with in my head and in my dreams. But it turned out that my abilities weren't even shocking to the people I met—though, they were impressed." She smiled fondly at the memory. "I learned how to hide as control my powers from my parents and Jacquie, but these people taught me that I don't have to be ashamed of what I have. That it isn't a curse, but a gift. I saw things, experienced things I'd _believed_ were real, but never thought _I'd_ see. It kind of changed my whole outlook on things, you know? And they gave me something before I left, something that can answer my questions once and for all."

Elle opened the golden drawstring on the bag and pulled out two circular objects, holding them up in front of her. Their strings glowed slightly in the soft light, but also gave off their own kind of luminescence. A magical buzz came off of them, and Elle didn't seem disturbed by it in the slightest. If anything, she seemed more determined than ever.

"With these, I'm going to get my lost memories back."

* * *

" _ **Jacqueline!**_ "

The sound of the front door slamming open startled the sprite from her dinner, causing her to look up sharply in alarm. Bernard stormed into the room, looking like he'd just battled with the slight snow storm outside and lost.

"What in the name of Mother Nature—" Jacqueline's surprise and slight irritation wore off at the sight of the expression on his face. Immediately, she sobered up. "What's happened, what's wrong? Is it about Elle? Is she okay? I swear to frost, if anything's happened to her because of you…" She trailed off, seeing that his panicked expression wasn't fading.

The head elf stammered for a moment, searching for the right words before collapsing in the nearest armchair with a sigh. "You might want to pour a drink. We _need_ to talk."

* * *

 _THIS CHAPTER IS A COMPLETE F*CKSHOW I HAVE NO EXPLANATIONS FOR THE EXPLANATIONS_

 _Another chapter that I'm kinda unhappy with, but I needed to give a moment to explain what was happening on Elle's side of things. I'd recommend reading this chapter twice if you're really into the plot of the story, otherwise you can just tl;dr it and say: Elle remembers that she doesn't remember everything she should._

 _There will only be one other chapter as intense as this, and it'll come later. But for now, have fun with the angsty garbage/backstory party that is chapter 23._

 _ALSO! *long string of clapping emojis* SafyreSky is editing Crystal Springs now and has completed up to chapter eight (what a CHAMPION HONESTLY.) So if you enjoy Jacqueline or perhaps even read the original, consider going back to check out the newly redone chapters! (AND IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE MASTERPIECE THAT IS CRYSTAL SPRINGS THEN THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO START.) Also in my humble opinion she does a better job with Elle than I do but that's because she's the better writer so basically get ur butts over there okay :D_

 _That's all I've got for now! Until next time, reviews and feedback are always appreciated. Hugs!_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	24. Chapter 24

_24._

"Have you ever heard of the Mandela effect?" Elle asked, carefully slipping the two dreamcatchers back into the silken bag she'd taken them from. When he shook his head, she went on. "It's a common phenomenon in the sphere of conspiracy theories that's used to explain when a particular thing or event or even person is remembered incorrectly on a mass scale, usually by a large group of people who have never met or spoken to each other before."

 _Now_ things were beginning to really feel strange, and Bernard couldn't exactly say it felt nice. Granted, he understood what had happened to the natural progression of time to cause this to occur—they could all thank Jack Frost for that—but it still felt strange to think of what had happened from the outsider's perspective. From _Elle's_ perspective, as it were, of her trying to piece together the overlapping remains of her lost and present memories.

"A decent example of the effect is with the children's book series 'The Berenstain Bears'. People all over the world _specifically_ remember the name being _'Berenstein'_ instead—with an _e,_ not an _a_. The difference of a letter may not seem important, but the fact that so _many_ people remember it makes it more intriguing—especially since the publisher has denied any sort of name change to the books. It's an occurrence of unexplained distortion from the regular. You following?"

Bernard nodded, thinking it best to not interrupt her train of thought.

"Probably not completely, but I'll take it." Elle sighed, and he couldn't help but smirk at her long-suffering scientist attitude. It was more entertaining than offensive, since he knew well that the last thing she wanted to do was lose his patience or attention. "Basically, the running theory behind the Mandela effect and instances like these are that something happened to the space-time continuum, something that caused two timelines to overlap. We're living in the aftermath of that—a parallel universe if you will— where some people still experience the memories of the original, uncrossed timelines." She gave him a pointed look and his stomach dropped. She'd _actually_ figured it out.

"What you're getting at is that these dreams you've been having, they're some type of memories from another reality. Right?" It felt strange to say it straight to her face, when it was completely true and she only thought it was a bizarre theory.

"Wow, you _are_ following."

"You did ask me to stay open-minded, remember?"

"Well yeah. But I didn't think you actually _would._ " Elle seemed genuinely surprised for a moment before her expression changed to embarrassment. "When you say it out loud, it does seem bananas. And in some cases, it is. The clinical term for this ideology is _confabulation_ —the belief that one has memories or past experiences that don't fit within the constructs of reality. But there is evidence that I'm right. I mean, come _on."_ She gestured around at the paintings, eyes wide with a mixture of hope and vague desperation. "These had to come from somewhere, right? Other than my ' _overactive imagination.'_ "

* * *

"Holy snowballs." Jacqueline stared in disbelief across the living room at Bernard as he retold what Elle had explained to him earlier that evening. "You _swear_ you're not lying to me?" She squinted, pointing an accusatory finger at the now right around half human, elf. "So help me Bernard, if I find out that you made all this up for some reason—"

"What reason do I have to _lie_ to you?" Bernard asked, brow furrowed in bewilderment. "Am I the type to waste both of our time like that?"

"My time, no. _Your_ time however, well. Considering how you've been beating your head against the brick wall that is Elle's stubbornness…"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"Right. In that case, I'll drop it for a better subject. I can't believe I never knew about what Phil and Josie put her through," Jacqueline said, staring angrily at the clock on the wall. "All of that, taking her to shrinks to see if she was nuts...she was just a _kid,_ for goodness sakes!" Her gaze fell and grew more regretful. "No wonder she always hates it when I told her she was just seeing things," she muttered, but Bernard shook his head.

"You were just doing what you thought was right. It's not your fault that you didn't know what they didn't tell you." He gave her a reassuring smile. "She even told me how much better things got after you came around. Elle isn't going to blame you, Jacqueline. If anything, she owes you thanks for being there so her parents didn't do anything more drastic." He faltered a little and then scowled. "Not that I don't understand your sentiment, because I'd _really like_ to give them a piece of my mind if I had the opportunity…"

"Well we're both going to have to stow the lecture for another time, because it would only make things worse at this point." Jacqueline's tone was decisive. "She's needs to get along with her family and have as much of a holiday as she can— _especially_ if she's going to remember, now that I think about it. She's got a lot to leave behind if she does. I don't want to be the reason she left her parents on a bad note, do you?"

"Of course I don't."

"Okay then. Glad we're on the same page about that." The winter sprite up at the ceiling in thought for a moment before chuckling, drumming her fingers on the armrest of her chair. "I can't believe that the truth is so crazy that Elle hasn't told anyone just because of how bonkers it seems."

"You're not wrong, it is pretty ridiculous. Any normal person might just brush it off as conspiracy theory and pack it away with Bigfoot and Nessie but if you think about it _big picture…_ " He puffed up his cheeks before letting out a sigh. "She's almost got it down to a science, if you waive the fact that it sounds insane. She just doesn't know _where_ these memories are coming from."

"But she _will_ find out, right?" Jacqueline ran a hand through her hair, half worried and half excited as she frosted it over without conscious thought. "Christmas Eve she's gonna use those...what were they?"

"Oddly enough, dreamcatchers. But they're magical, they've probably got some sort of memory extracting ability and I wouldn't doubt that they work. Elle said that the people she met in Maine have had their share of time related incidents and knows that they do what the box says. If that doesn't say a lot, that what does?"

"If not about the dreamcatchers then about the town, yeah. Who _are_ those people?" Jacqueline wondered with slight irritation. "And why is she so keen on keeping them a secret from me and her parents? Not to mention, why couldn't I follow her wherever she went to?"

"She _is_ a telepath, you know. She might have just mentally blocked you out, without your realizing it."

"You really think she'd do that?"

A shrug. "Dunno. I mean, the Elle I knew is a little different from this one."

"A little different or a lot?"

"My Elle wasn't nearly as accepting of her telepathy and seemed nearly terrified of showing me any sort of affection."

"Some things have changed for the better, then."

"She also didn't think she was crazy, or avoid her responsibilities to her parents."

"Which one do you think is more tolerable?"

"Only she knows that, don't you think?"

"There are _so_ many questions I have for that kid, I tell you what."

"That makes both of us. I'll bet she has her fair share of questions for us too, even if she isn't aware of them right now."

"Oh brother."

"If my suspicions about the Watch are true then I'm sure at least a few are about him, yeah."

"Frostbite." Jacqueline grimaced and shivered in distaste, shaking her head. "Don't remind me, I already feel bad enough."

"Sorry, sorry. What he did isn't your fault, anyway."

"I know, I just…don't want to talk about Jack. It's still a sore subject. You wouldn't believe what I was going through before I showed up here for Elle— it was another of his shenanigans, and I haven't exactly shaken it off yet."

"While I'm not surprised to hear that, I _am_ surprised I haven't heard more about it. When did this happen?"

"Let's just say this isn't my first rodeo when it comes to Jack messing with the flow of time."

"You know you can talk to me about it if you need to."

"Thanks, B-Man. I appreciate that, I really do." Jacqueline smiled, cuddling pillow a little closer and resting her chin atop it. "Maybe once all of this sorts itself out we can have that talk. But for now, where were we…you were saying about the town?"

"Right. She did let slip that the place has some sort of protection spell around it," Bernard said with a frown. "You can only get in if they're expecting you. She also mentioned that it's called... _Storybrooke?_ I think. But I've never heard of the place, not here or where we came from."

Jacqueline shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe she's got this all but figured out without our knowing. And leave it to Elle to have all the answers and _still_ not understand, am I right?" She sighed. "I guess she'll find out soon enough, once she's got her memories back. It's almost like she doesn't need our help at all. I for one find that a bit of a relief, don't you?"

"It _is_ a hopeful thing." Looking down at his shoes, he tried to slow his spinning mind down enough to look at things rationally. "If she does manage to get her memories back, it leaves a lot less explaining for me to do. I can come back after Santa launches and see...you know. How she feels about things."

"It is taking a big leap of faith now that I think about it. What if she fails?"

"Then coming back once my responsibilities are handled is probably my best course of action. More time to sit down and really explain, you know? Let her pick my mind for details."

"You seem awfully nonchalant about letting her peek inside your head."

"Let's just say that she's trusted me to look in her mind before now. I guess I kind of owe it to her to extend the same opportunity."

"Geez I'd love to hear the backstory on how _that_ happened."

Recalling the slightly awkward and yet endearing qualities of that particular memory, Bernard shook his head. "Another time. It's complicated."

Jacqueline laughed out loud, stretching her legs out from where they'd been tucked under her. "What isn't complicated about this whole fiasco? But I know what you mean. Right now I'm more concerned about our resident nutjob."

"I doubt she'd appreciate that nickname."

"Even if I mean it endearingly?" the sprite asked with a slight pout, and Bernard rolled his eyes. "But she's _our nutjob."_

"Considering what we've learned tonight? Not even then."

"Drat. I guess it is a little insensitive—but it's not like we don't have weirder nicknames."

"Mhmm. Last I heard she wanted to finish something she was working on. Based on what I've learned I'd say she's going to be up painting most of the night. I think she said something about having a dance class tomorrow morning? I kind of lost track of things at the end. I'm sure she's fine though, her loft is a pretty safe place."

"And what about you? What are you going to be up to until she's back with us? No offense buddy but you look like you got at least partially trampled by a reindeer. You could use some sleep."

"Don't remind me." Bernard groaned, drawing a hand over his face. "No, sleeping isn't on the books for me right now. I'm used to that this time of the year especially, but then again I'm not exactly in the Workshop am I?"

"Nope. And you're not exactly yourself, if you catch my snowdrift," Jacquie pointed out, nodding him up and down.

"More than you know." He was keenly aware of the changes he was undergoing as a part of becoming a bit more human than he was comfortable with. Come to think of it, Curtis would have probably come up with a title for what Bernard was experiencing. Something the lines of _de-elfification process_ sprang to mind, but then, Curtis hadn't exactly been made aware of his boss's "condition".

"Must be quite the shock for you, eh?"

"A bit, but no more than all of the rest of this is."

Jacqueline looked amused. "So you'd put the later stages of puberty on the same trouble scale as total space-time chaos?"

"You're starting to sound like Elle," the elf warned with a tilt of his head.

"'Yikes, that's problematic.' Am I at least doing a good impression? Come on give me this one, it's pretty good isn't it."

"Not bad, actually." Bernard found he was chuckling in spite of himself. "At any rate, I've got a few personal things to see to before...well, anything gets more hectic." He ran a hand over his cheek, grimacing at the slightly sandpapery feeling. "And I've got to see a guy about a shave."

* * *

Teleporting North felt a bit more draining than it really ought to. It didn't help that Bernard knew exactly why, and that the idea of becoming more and more human was a real risk that he wasn't enjoying as it set in. It wasn't his current priority though. He really did need to speak to Scott, and soon. He needed to know just how much Elle was aware of, because Bernard needed him to pass that information to Father Time. It was especially relevant to the Storm, after all.

Maybe he shouldn't have aimed for the workshop either, because he landed directly in Scott's office. It wouldn't have been a big deal if it hadn't been two days before Christmas, with elves bustling in and out and getting final permissions for various things from the Big Man himself. Mrs. Claus was there as well, sitting on the couch in front of a laptop. She was the first to notice Bernard's arrival, her face twisting in confusion before recognition dawned.

"Ber _nard?"_ She got up, setting aside the computer and coming over to greet him. "Goodness I hardly recognized you! What on earth…" she looked him up and down, seeing the obvious physical changes including his fatigue. "Why don't you take a seat, hmm?"

"It's alright Mrs. C, I'm here to talk to Santa," he said, as Carol dusted snow off his shoulders and generally mothered him for a moment. She caught him by the chin, turning his head from side to side and inspecting his face.

"Bernard this is…"

"Yeah, I know. Awful, right? That's partially why I'm here." Bernard grimaced. By now, Scott had caught sight of what was going on and had sent the rest of the crowd out, shutting the office doors behind them.

"Didn't expect to see you again so soon, Number One," he said, coming over to join them. No sooner had he caught a good look at the elf's face that he cringed. "Silver bells. That Clause is doing a real number on you, isn't it?"

"You don't know the _half_ of it. But that's not why I'm here. I came to update you on…" he trailed off, suddenly unsure of the situation. Did Carol know what he was doing? Did she know that he was off chasing Elle?

"It's alright," Carol reassured him, setting a hand on his arm. "Scott's been keeping me up to speed on how you've been doing during your 'business trip'." She winked knowingly. "I have to say, it's pretty ambitious—but nothing less than what I'd expect from you."

That did a lot to soothe his nerves. "Great," he said with a sigh of relief. "If you don't mind, I'll take that seat you offered? It's been a long night."

"Sure. How about a drink as well?" Scott offered, and Bernard nodded enthusiastically. "Good. You can fill us in on what you've learned and take a bit of a load off."

"We'll finish the plans later?" Carol said to her husband, who nodded. Seeing Bernard's worried look, Mrs. Claus was quick to put him at ease. "Just the family holiday plans. With everything going on, we figured it would be best to save the visiting until after Christmas—and for us to go to them for once. It'd be nice to get out of the Pole for a little while, have a change of scenery."

"It...it _is_ nice out there," Bernard admitted, turning introspective for a moment. He _had_ been having a good time with Elle and Jacqueline, and hell, even Elle's family for the brief time he'd met them. Well, good _enough._ Still, he could see the value of what Carol was saying. "A change of pace is sometimes a good thing. And hey, I remember Charlie saying he wanted to show Buddy some of his favorite places around the Miller's place next time he came to visit. I'm sure they'll be thrilled."

"You always are good at remembering that kind of stuff, aren't you?" Scott mused thoughtfully, taking a seat beside Carol, who seemed to be staying as well.

"What can I say, elven memory doesn't let a lot slip." He bit back a deprecating comment about his lessening elvishness, instead turning his attention to the shelf behind Santa's desk where he knew Elle's contract was tucked away safely between the pages of a book. "Anyway, I suppose I should spit out what I came to tell you. Neither of us have a lot of time to waste."

"Indeed. We're less than thirty six hours away from the big day, Bernard. You're really playing this one close, you know that?"

"By the skin of my teeth, I'm sure." It wasn't as if he didn't already feel the weight of the pressure and worry crawling on his back, but he knew there was no point in getting snappy about it.

"Give him a break Scott, I'm sure he knows what he's doing," Carol chided gently, giving her husband a slightly reproachful look.

"No, he's right," Bernard reassured her. "But I have a very, _very_ good reason for it."

By the time he'd explained what Elle had told him to Santa and his wife, the mood in the room had changed dramatically, shifting from apprehension to an almost carefree air. Scott seemed very relieved by the news.

"This is terrific, Bernard! If she remembers all on her own then it makes things that much easier for us. It should be a weight off your mind too, I don't understand why you look so troubled."

"It is! It's just…" He hesitated, running a hand over his face. "I don't know. Something feels off about it."

"Well no offense pal but the whole situation is a little screwy."

" _Scott…"_

"I'm serious, Carol! It's clear that if something was supposed to be better for Ellington here, it hasn't been. It's just shuffled around her problems and frankly, some of them seem worse. I mean come on. Maybe I'm a bit sensitive to the idea of a kid being told they're crazy because of believing in something others don't think exists, but she's clearly had it rough one way or another."

Both Bernard and Carol knew he was referring to Charlie's first formative experiences with Scott becoming Santa, and in some ways, he wasn't wrong. "You have a good point," Carol admitted gently but firmly. "But either way, Bernard is right in being cautious. She does have to sort this for herself—as long as something doesn't go wrong, of course."

Bernard groaned. "Don't say that."

"I know it's unpleasant to think about, but have you considered what you'll do if for some reason, these devices—"

"Dreamcatchers."

"Right, dreamcatchers, don't work?"

"It's simple," Scott interjected carelessly. Seeing both Carol and Bernard's confused looks, he scoffed in disbelief. "You're joking. You don't honestly know?"

"Something you'd like to share with the class, Scott?" said Carol, a little sternly at his flippant tone. Bernard opened his mouth to interject but Santa was already chuckling good naturedly, swiping a tear of laughter from his eye.

"She's a mind reader, you two. A _telepath,_ through and through. If the magical whatever-the-hecks don't do the trick, just _show her what's in your head_ , Bernard! Plain and simple."

"That was already the plan Jacqueline and I discussed," Bernard replied, but neither the boss nor his wife seemed to notice.

"When you put it like that it does seem awfully straightforward," Carol admitted, and Santa nodded with confidence while Bernard hid the roll of his eyes by staring at the low burning embers in the fireplace.

"It is. Regardless, you were right to come to me, number one. Maybe the reason for this electrical storm we're having has to do with the fact that Elle never truly forgot—but I'll have to ask Father Time about that." A knocking on the door redirected everyone's attention, reminding them that it was two days before Christmas and already the queue outside Santa's door had begun reforming. Bernard fought back the urge to go out onto the Workshop floor and distract himself with the billion-and-one things there were undoubtedly left to do before Christmas Day, but he didn't. Instead, he sighed and leveled his gaze at Scott and Carol again.

"It's a good idea, and you're both right. I'm just feeling the stress, which isn't unusual for this time of year, but not usually for this reason," he added with a slight shrug. Both Clauses nodded in agreement. "It's just...a different kind of worry than I'm used to."

"And it's only natural for you to feel worried, especially considering the sensitive nature of things," Carol pointed out, rising from her seat on the couch near her husband's side. "I know I speak for both of us when I say that if anyone is capable of pulling this off, it's you Bernard."

"What the missus said." Scott smiled, getting to his feet. Regrettably, Bernard knew this meant the meeting was over, and while he understood he couldn't help but admit he enjoyed being in their company. As much as he enjoyed Jacqueline and Elle's presence, he was used to interacting with a much larger number of friendly faces every day and it had seemed abnormally lonely lately. Scott however, seemed have caught onto the predicament Carol had noticed earlier. "Say, Bernard. You wouldn't happen to own a razor would'ya? Because I'm pretty confident your face could make good use of it."

"It wasn't just me then. I would have said 'oh the humanity' but that seemed a little too tongue-in-cheek."

"That's the other reason I'm here." Bernard rubbed awkwardly at the back of his neck. "I've never exactly needed to know how to do that before? I was kinda wondering if—"

"Say no more!" Scott boomed, clearly glad to have been asked (even though he hadn't been, not yet, not _technically.)_ Carol even jumped a little at his jolly reaction, breaking into a surprised and slightly concerned smile. "Just because I sport the full mane doesn't mean I don't know how to shave. You've come to the right place."

"Scott, are you _sure_ you have time for shaving lessons when..?" Carol nodded towards the door at the elves waiting beyond, but Scott shook his head as if the matter were settled. "I could show him if you think you've got enough on your plate."

"Nonsense! They can go to Curtis or Quentin for half an hour. This is _important,_ man's stuff."

"Right, I'm sure," Carol replied, humorously skeptical, but she didn't press the subject. "Good luck," she said, shooting a glance at Bernard that proved the words were for him in regards to bearing Scott's ego.

"Don't worry Bernard, you're in good hands," Scott said, rubbing said hands together with anticipation. Bernard forced an uneasy smile, glancing towards the door after Carol and wondering if he could beat a quick retreat as effortlessly. Could he teleport out? Nope. From the way he was feeling he'd need at least a solid fifteen minutes before he was stable enough even to just beam out of the Workshop, let alone back to Jacqueline's place. "Let's just be glad this isn't permanent, eh?"

Even before Scott led him off in the direction of the bathroom, he knew this was a mistake. Next time (if there _was_ a next time) he should just go to the salon in Elfsburg. Rumors of him becoming human weren't as bad as getting inadvertently sliced up by his boss. Besides, wasn't he being a bit melodramatic? Surely Scott wasn't that inept. He was a capable Santa, after all. Not for the first time, Bernard realized the situation was getting to him and he was once again overreacting.

"Trust me sir. I'm _definitely_ grateful for that."

* * *

 _Hey, are you busy?_

The text wasn't exactly unexpected, but wasn't how Jacqueline had assumed Elle would get in touch with her. It was around nine thirty the next morning, and Jacquie had had some time to think about how she wanted to respond when her friend finally reached out.

 _Not really. I was kind of wondering when you'd call._

There was a long pause in between messages, and Jacqueline watched as Elle's reply bubble popped up and left several times before she replied.

 _I'm really sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have run off like that, even if I was mad at mom and dad._

It didn't seem like a complete apology, but given what Bernard had told her that made sense. Elle was still keeping her secrets to herself, and now that Jacqueline knew why she couldn't really fault her friend for her odd behavior.

 _It's okay, we were just worried about you. I'm glad you took some time to chill out though! Did you need me for something?_

The reply came more quickly this time.

 _Yeah, mom said I need to buy a dress for the holiday party. Would you mind helping me out? You know I'm not good at this sort of thing._

Jacqueline couldn't help but smile. What a handful.

 _Sure kid, I'm already in the area. I'll meet you uptown._

 _Thanks Jacquie, you're a real lifesaver xx_

The winter sprite chuckled to herself as she stuffed her phone in her coat pocket. "Lifesaver, matchmaker. I've sure got a lot of unusual titles nowadays," she muttered before poofing off to meet up with her loose cannon of a best friend.

 _Uptown_ would have been a general sort of idea if it hadn't been a mutually known thing that it was a coffee shop near the shopping district that they'd used to frequent during their college days—before Elle had dropped out, at least. Unsurprisingly Jacqueline arrived first, which gave her time to think about how best to act as though she didn't know Elle's secret via Bernard.

Perhaps Bernard was correct about where Elle had come from, because she was dressed as though she'd been at dance class prior to meeting Jacqueline. She did seem freshly showered though, which was a relief as they were going fancy dress purchasing and being sweaty from a workout wasn't exactly encouraged.

"Hey," Elle said, slightly breathlessly as she slid into her seat across from her friend.

"Hey. You doing alright?"

"Now I am." She gave Jacqueline a tentative smile, clearly testing the waters to check and see if her friend had actually forgiven her. When Jacqueline smile back, she seemed to be relieved and settled into her seat a bit more comfortably.

"Good. I'm glad Bernard was able to talk you down a bit," Jacqueline said, sipping her drink and casting a mischievous wink across the table. Elle went pink and stuttered in confusion.

"That's not...I mean, he didn't…"

Jacqueline's knowing look increased in smugness.

Elle sighed in exasperation. "He _listened,_ which was a great relief and _exactly_ what I needed really." She stared down at the table before snorting softly. When she spoke again, her tone was quieter. "Hell, I think I scared him pretty well. I doubt he'll want to be around me much anymore."

"Oh come on now, that's a depressing way of looking at things," Jacqueline chided, disapproving of her friend's skepticism. "If I know him at all, he's not going to give up just because you spooked him a little."

Elle frowned back, narrowing her eyes. "Give up on what?" She asked, and Jacqueline realized she'd made a slight slip.

"Eh, you know. On whatever it is you two have got going on in a romantic sense." She knew she was in the clear when Elle rolled her eyes and sighed, but there was clearly a slight smile on her lips.

"Yeah, sure. Okay. I'm sure he's really invested when he's leaving in two days," she said, the concept seeming to sadden her considerably.

"Well that hasn't seemed to stop you from spending an awful lot of time together. And hey, I can't blame you. Even just as a spectator it's easy to see you _like him_." Jacqueline would have been lying if she'd said that she didn't enjoy casting sly jabs at her friend over the matter, since it would have been very out of character for Elle to act this way with a guy if she hadn't had the backstory she did with Bernard —even if she didn't remember it.

"Yeah, I do. And I wish he didn't have to go. Something about him feels…comfortable." Elle's tone seemed soft and sad for a moment before she looked up from the table and forced a smile. "Anyway, onto more pressing subjects. Mom says that the party is formal this year."

"Oh. Oh really?"

"Yeah." Elle looked uncomfortable. "I'd hoped it would be more relaxed since we're all trying to get along and all, but no such luck. I guess since she's inviting everyone from both her and dad's companies they want to go big." She sighed and rested her cheek on her fist. Jacqueline made a disapproving noise and waggled a finger at her friend.

"Ah ah! I know what you're thinking. _No."_

 _"_ And here I thought I was the telepathic one," Elle said ruefully, smirking at the sprite.

"I mean it Elle. You can't just avoid your family like this, they need you to be there."

"I know, I _know,"_ Elle protested, hiding her face in her hands. "I just, it's not how I want to spend my Christmas Eve, you know? Why can't we have a _quiet, family_ Christmas, the way we used to when we were kids?"

 _You were a kid,_ Jacqueline thought to herself, but didn't share with Elle. She shrugged. "People change I guess. I've seen your parents develop a lot over the time I've known them."

"Developing is _one_ way to put it. They've been progressively getting stuffier and more uptight as us kids have grown up. I _hate_ it. I used to want to be _like_ my parents when I was younger, but now, I just want to get away from them. And that's an awful thing to say, even I know that. But case in point, this whole party feels more like a publicity stunt than an actual celebration." With a groan, Elle dragged a hand down her face. "It's whatever, I guess. I'm just tired of trying to pretend everything is _fine_ when I actually feel like screaming. But what can you do about it?" She shrugged. "Anyway, you ready to go?"

"Why not," Jacqueline replied, still thinking on what Elle had said as she rose to her feet with her drink in hand. Elle was genuinely frustrated with her parents, and with a slight jolt of realization Jacqueline knew why. Elle wasn't the only one who had been held an arm's length from her parents growing up, after all. It struck a bit of a nerve.

"Great. The sooner we can finish this and get back to your place the better."

"Eager to see B-Man again already?"

"Oh, shut _up."_

* * *

 _HI THANKS FOR READING THIS IT'S **STILL A PIECE OF GARBAGE**_

(also I have no idea if anyone is remotely in character here but OKAY)

 _But in all seriousness thanks for coming back to read, even though we're almost into March! I once again spent way too much time staring at and editing this chapter until my eyes blurred so if it's awful blame me for overkill._

 _If this conspiracy stuff is making your head spin, don't worry! I gotchu. Believe it or not Jenna Marbles has a gr8 explanation of the Mandela effect and the Berenstain Bears theory that will blow your mcfreakin mind in under ten minutes on the Jenna &Julien Podcast (I'm sure there are others but let's be real I love Jenna and Julien and could listen to them talk conspiracies all DAY.) I will place a link to the youtube video on my profile page! _

_Also for those of you asking for the links to the bernelle art, I'll put links to those on my profile page as well since I can't put links here. Mello has done me great honors by drawing my lil ship so all the thanks and kudos to her for being amazing :D_

 _MY FRIENDLY FRIEND CHUM PAL BUDDY AMIGA SNOWFLAKE DANI IS STILL REWRITING CRYSTAL SPRINGS! If you haven't been keeping up with her rewrite than I encourage you to scroll the category and give that masterpiece a read and some love. It is my personal opinion that it doesn't get nearly the attention it should because it is quite frankly THE best work of fanfiction I know of and is just plain brilliant. But that's enough from me I shush now_

 _As always, reviews and feedback are always appreciated! Thanks so much for reading._

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	25. Chapter 25

_25._

Elle and Jacqueline arrived home in the early afternoon, sporting rosy cheeks and trailing snow on their boots. It was an exceptionally chilly day, with near perfect Christmas weather. Elle, who normally didn't much care for shopping and found it incredibly draining (and was pretty sure Jacqueline felt similarly), found herself pleasantly recharged from spending time with her friend. Her mind and worries had calmed and she felt ready to enjoy the rest of the holiday—assuming nothing else went terribly wrong. She did have a lot to look forward to, after all.

"I cannot _believe_ you got us kicked out of the store for making too many puns," Jacqueline said with a massive roll of her eyes.

"Hey, I can't help that they reacted so harshly to me goofing off so much. I only knocked over that one display," Elle said with a lighthearted shrug, setting her stack of boxes down on the hallway table. A mischievous look crossed her face. "It's almost like—"

"Elle, no."

"—they thought that—"

"Seriously, please, for the love of all things frozen, _spare me._ "

"—they were _punder_ attack."

"Okay that, that was a new record low."

Elle shrugged. "They can't all be bangers. And hey, we could have been in and out of the store if you'd just let me buy the pantsuit instead of the dress."

"Are you kidding me? Josie said _formal dress,_ Elle."

"Nothing says formal like a pantsuit."

"Emphasis on _dress_ , kid. And there was no way I was letting you show up in that thing, you looked like Hillary Clinton."

"Ex _cuse you_ , Hillary Rodham Clinton is a fashion _icon."_

Jacqueline rubbed at the bridge of her nose, feeling a familiar sort of headache beginning that she usually only got from her younger siblings. "Elle, oh my gods."

"Besides," Elle said with a persuasive tone of voice. "Would it have really been so bad for me to rub mom the wrong way?"

Jacqueline almost asked what Josette had done to deserve that kid of antagonizing before recalling her conversation with Bernard the night before. She didn't have time to pick something else to say, however, because a new voice came from the doorway to the kitchen behind them.

"Actually yeah, it probably would be."

"Dottie? Didn't expect to see you here, but it's a nice surprise. What's up what brings you to my place?" A quick look at Elle told her that she had not been expecting her sister to pay a visit.

Dottie raised an eyebrow at Jacqueline's question, hands on her hips and an impatient foot tapping. "Nice to see you too Jacqueline. Since Elle's been such a Scrooge lately" —she shot a look at her sister— "Annise had the bright idea of reviving an old holiday tradition. Remember back when we were kids, we used to go to the ice rink near home? Well, we might not live near that place anymore, but we can still go downtown to where they've got that big tree lit and tear up the ice a little, in the name of mending fences. Sound good?"

"It's not the _worst_ idea." Elle tipped her head. "The skating, that is. Not the mending fences. Ow!" A hard elbow to the side from Jacquie made her flinch and scowl, clutching at her ribs.

"Sure." Dottie rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we got here and the house was empty, so we decided to wait around until you both showed up."

"You could have texted or called," Elle said, shucking off her coat with a bit of a grumble.

Dottie spluttered her lips. "And ruin the surprise? As if, Annise wouldn't let me."

"How'd you get in the house?"

"Door was unlocked."

Elle threw a disbelieving look Jacqueline's way. "You left your house unlocked? In _this_ neighborhood?"

Jacqueline shrugged. "I was in a hurry I guess. Oops?"

"I think sometimes you forget this isn't Canada. The Allens got robbed last year, remember?"

"Trust me, I don't forget this isn't Canada. There's a severe lack of Tim Horton's, you know—and that's just one example. Besides, robberies happen in Canada too, you nut."

"Does it really matter?" Dottie asked, clearly confused by her sister's insistence.

"No. No, you're right. Sorry, I'm just a little thrown by you being here. Did mom and dad send you?"

Dottie sighed and rolled her eyes yet again. "Not everything is about you, Elle. Stop being so paranoid. I'm not gonna spend my holiday vacation chewing you out for being a jerk to mom and dad." She smiled smugly. "I'll save that for _after._ "

"Oh. _Thanks."_ It was clear that the girls were just bantering, neither of them really irritated. That was something to be glad of, Jacqueline thought, as the last thing she needed was for Elle to be openly feuding with her family again. The miscommunication was bad enough.

"Anyway, we brought lunch. _Now_ I'll bet you're glad we came, right?" Dottie looked expectantly at her sister and her friend and both Elle and Jacqueline exchanged looks before one of their stomachs rumbled at the idea of food.

"I guess we were out awhile," Elle admitted, giving her sister a hesitant smile.

"Then you're in luck. Come on, you must be freezing! It's been snowing out there for two hours already."

She wasn't wrong. It had been snowing all afternoon, and while that meant Jacqueline was quite comfortable in and outside, Elle was more than happy to be more of the former. In fact, now that she thought about it, her hands were practically numb with cold. Had she forgotten her gloves at dance class?

"Hey, there you are." Upon entering the kitchen Elle found Annise pulling dishes from the cupboard.

"Wow, you two made yourselves at home, didn't you?"

Annise frowned. "We were trying to get the fun part off to a good start. Jacqueline, you're not _too_ mad we just showed up, are you?" All eyes went to the sprite, who merely shrugged and went over to peek at the contents of the oven.

"Not really. I'm kind of getting used to people coming and going around this place," she said, and Annise broke into a sly smirk.

"Speaking of, where is that good old cousin of yours, hmm?"

"He isn't here?" Jacqueline asked, which only made Elle frown all the harder as she had yet to hear Annise's strange convictions about Bernard.

"Nope. We've been here for an hour or so and haven't seen or heard him around. Not to mention his room is locked."

"You tried to snoop, didn't you?"

Annise grinned. "Well I mean if you were in my shoes, wouldn't you? He seems like the kind of guy who has a lot of secrets. _Big_ secrets."

That made Jacqueline think. "Well…yeah, I suppose he does, doesn't he? Never thought about it too much."

"I stopped her before she got creative and tried to break in," Dottie pointed out with a reproachful glance at her youngest sister, who only grinned wider.

"What can I say, I'm a Connelly."

"And that means what exactly?"

"I'm a go-getter," the girl said simply, as if it were perfectly obvious. Both of her older sisters exchanged dubious looks, and Elle sighed.

"Whatever you say, kiddo."

"Ugh, now you're sounding like Jacqueline."

"Hey, I don't sound that unenthused." The sprite opened the oven and took a sniff at the contents. "Ooh, lasagna?"

"Mhmm. Warm food so we'll stay warm on the ice." Annise turned her attention from the silverware drawer to look at Elle. "Say, you've been awfully quiet while we've been talking about Bernard. You two don't get along or something?"

"What? No, no of course not." The eldest Connelly sibling tugged at her sleeve nervously, clearing her throat. "Bernard's fine, no problems here."

"Well you certainly have enough problems, but I don't think disliking this guy is one of them." This time, Dottie was the one to start chuckling. "I don't think that's it at _all—_ quite the opposite."

"Dottie, no," Elle warned, holding up a warning hand as Dottie began circling in on her like a hawk. Jacqueline meanwhile, was eagerly digging out a slice of the lasagna and taking a big bite before almost choking and panting ridiculously. " _Whydidnoonetellmethisstuffishot?"_ She rattled off, causing Annise to look at her in confusion.

"You _just_ took it out of the oven."

"I know that! That doesn't explain why this thing tastes like it was baked in the fires of a volcano!"

Annise could only roll her eyes, muttering something about having _three_ older sisters before fetching the sprite a glass of water.

"You're blushing, Ellington. Anything you'd like to share with your _loving sisters?_ Anything about this _Bernard person_ that I should know about?" Dottie poked at Elle's arm, causing her to wince and rub at the spot in pained confusion. It was true, though. She was even more pink around the edges at the teasing and knew that Dottie of all people would be the one to force the truth out of her. _And in front of Annise too_ , Elle thought ruefully. _How humiliating_.

"Besides the fact that they've already been smooching beneath the strategically placed mistletoe?" Jacqueline chimed in with a snort, eyes still slightly watery as she pointed up at the sprig in the doorway. Elle slapped a hand over her face in embarrassment. "That was my idea by the way."

"Ellington _Sophia Connelly!_ You _did not."_

"Jacquie, are you freaking kidding me."

"She asked and I answered."

"Did you tell my parents too for that matter?"

"No, it didn't come up."

"Can't believe the elf has been getting _action_ from my _sister_ ," Annise pulled a face, shaking her head at the concept as if she found it more than a little odd.

"It sure _will_." Dottie's tone meant only trouble for Elle. She looked ready to burst with enthusiasm. "Someone's been busy, huh? First the trip to Maine and now you're smooching Jacqueline's cousin and…" She paused with a frown, looking at Annise. "Hold up, _elf_? What's that about, am I missing an inside joke or something here?"

Annise sighed and shook her head. "It's an inside joke for one, 'one' being me. Don't worry about it." Elle found that very odd, as Annise wasn't the secret keeping type, but now was no time to press the subject as Dottie was once again all over her.

"Okay, so be it. But really? How long has it been since you've shown interest in _anyone,_ Elle?"

 _"Not as long as you think,"_ Elle muttered, while Dottie rambled on over her. Neither of them had taken a moment to consider anything might have happened while Elle was away, but that was another story and she didn't need even more unasked for concern.

"…Has to have been at least a few years, right? You weren't much for dating when you were in college. But why Jacqueline's _cousin?_ No offense," she aimed at Jacquie, who seemed to have gotten the heat of her food resolved by then and wasn't much bothered.

"None taken I think?"

"I mean, I assume he's a decent looking guy if he's met Elle's ridiculous standards but I'm just wondering. What makes him so special?" Dottie turned her gaze back and forth between Elle, Jacqueline and Annise. "Well? Anybody? Annise, you're smirking."

"Am _not."_

"Are too."

"It doesn't matter!" Elle broke into the argument, throwing her hands up in frustration. She sighed, her sisters looking a bit taken aback. Jacqueline's surprised expression was a little bit dulled by the fact that she had a mouthful of lasagna. Still, her eyebrows had shot up at the outburst. "He's leaving tomorrow, it's…it's nothing to make a big deal about." She threw a warning look in her friend's direction, clearly warning Jacqueline not to spill the beans about what had happened the day before.

There was a bitter, upset feeling in Elle's stomach at that reminder. She'd finally found someone to confide in and trust, someone who didn't call her crazy and just listened, so _of course_ that meant he wouldn't stick around. The thought made her sigh, a tightness settling in her chest.

 _Hey. You alright over there?_

The surprising voice in her mind made her jump, confusion and then deeper embarrassment crossing her face.

"Elle? You alright?" Jacqueline asked, having seen her rapid change of expression. But Elle held up a hand, confused and thinking maybe she'd just imagined his voice.

 _Bernard?_

There was a slight surge of amusement, the feeling of someone laughing in a way. _You've got someone else popping into your head on the regular?_

Elle broke into a smile, sliding into a seat at the table. Her hand went to her temple, and she felt a great deal of relief that her mind wasn't playing tricks for _once._

 _No, not exactly. I was just surprised that you showed up so suddenly._

All three other girls were watching with mixed confusion and intrigue, curious as to what on earth was going on with Elle—a recurring theme, lately.

 _I dunno, I guess I could just_ feel _you being upset. I got worried. What's going on?_

 _Nothing, just nosy siblings. I can handle it, they just got under my skin a little._

 _You sure? I don't mind showing up and getting them off your back for you._

That made her laugh a little. _No, it's okay. Though, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you dropped by. Dottie is beyond curious and Annise has some especially interesting convictions about you._

"Ah, I see." Jacqueline had finally put two and two together. She waved a hand at Annise and Dottie. "She talking to _him."_

"Him?" Dottie asked, before disbelief hit her. "No way." She looked back at Elle, who seemed equal parts blushy and relieved, her head ducked and a hand rubbing at her neck but a nearly peaceful smile on her lips. Dottie drew back, stunned. "Well I guess I know what makes him special now."

"So he can get in her _head_ ," Annise concurred, stroking her chin thoughtfully. She seemed to consider this for a long moment before nodding. "I mean it's weird, but I ship it."

"Ship it?" Jacqueline frowned.

"Yeah. You know, I can get behind them together, or however you senior citizens say things."

"Hey," Dottie said, tapping Annise reproachfully on the head. "Rude."

"Besides," Jacquie cut in, "don't you think it's a little early to be talking like that? They haven't exactly known each other long."

Annise shrugged. "Isn't it about a connection more than anything else? _Nobody_ gets through to Elle, except for maybe you Jacqueline."

"I suppose that's true." It put Jacqueline at ease to hear Elle's sisters accepting Bernard, if that wasn't too strong a term. So far, he hadn't managed to irk any one of her family members—besides her father, but he hadn't irritated Phillip. If anything, the irritation went the _opposite_ way. Bernard wasn't exactly a big fan of the businessman, and Jacqueline just hoped he could keep that under wraps until this was all sorted out.

"Yeah, you're right kiddo." Dottie tousled her younger sister's head and grinned. "Maybe it's good for Ellington to get out of her comfort zone and actually _feel_ something for once." She frowned. "Why is Barry—"

"Bernard," Annise corrected. "Just Bernard." That struck Jacqueline oddly. The detail of Bernard not liking nicknames hadn't come up the last time Annise had seen Bernard. How did she remember that? _Did_ she remember that? Or was it just a sort of glitch in the works that she knew? Man, Elle might be rather meta with her ideas and theories, but Jacqueline could understand where she was coming from. Trying to make sense of this whole situation and the crossed timelines was mind boggling.

"Right. Bernard. Why is he leaving again?"

"Work, mostly." Elle had finally returned to the group, seeming to be more relaxed and happy then before. "But from what I understand he's got some other obligations to wrap up for the holiday."

"Good analogy," Jacqueline agreed, passing Elle a dish of now appropriately cooled lasagna and prompting her to eat. Reluctantly, she took up the fork and tucked in, still listening to her sisters talk about her situation with mild interest.

"Can he come back after?"

Elle shrugged. "Dunno. He hasn't mentioned it. In fact," she realized with a frown, "he made it sound awfully final, his going home." She went back to whatever mental connection she had with Bernard with worry. _Say, what is that about?_ She didn't get a reply, so either the connection was still shaky or he didn't _want_ to answer.

"Sounds shady, but okay."

"He's mysterious enough I guess." Dottie sighed, clearly a little annoyed. "I'll certainly have a few questions of my own when I meet him."

"Oh god Dottie. Don't tell me you're gonna grill him, it's not that serious!"

"Well you getting involved at all is pretty serious in my book. Especially after a year of being completely reclusive. Who _knows_ what you've been up to while you've been away."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

 _"Nothing._ Just that you can go through a lot of guys in a year." Ah, _there_ it was.

"No, _I_ can't."

"Hey!" Seeing that this was quickly devolving into an argument, Jacqueline took the opportunity to break it up. "It's going to be dark soon if we don't hurry up. Why don't we get going? The ice isn't going to wait for us, after all," she said with an uneasy laugh, but no one seemed to notice. Annise nodded enthusiastically, getting out of her seat and making her way to the hall. Dottie and Elle remained in a staring contest for a few more seconds before Elle looked away and sighed.

"You're right." She got up and scooped up the bowls, setting them in the sink while Dottie got up and left the room without another word. Elle didn't seem too bothered by Dottie's anger, more saddened than anything, which made Jacqueline worry.

"Say, you doing okay? I know this has been an eventful week for you. You seem a little worn around the edges, if you don't mind me saying."

Elle turned off the tap and leaned against the counter, looking out the kitchen window at the gentle snowfall and twinkling lights outside. It was a lovely afternoon, even though the thought of the impending party and festivities the next day made her uncomfortable all over again. "Yeah, it's been tiring. But it's been good, too." She shook her head. "Honestly, I just can't wait until this Christmas is over. I feel like I could use a week's nap."

"I feel you on that."

"Well, you're right. We should get going." Elle almost left the room before turning back in the doorway. "Hey, Jacqueline?"

The blonde looked up, seeming mildly thoughtful. "Hmm?"

"Thank you, for being so patient. I know I haven't been easy to get along with lately, and…well, I really appreciate you being understanding and not judging me."

This wasn't a surprising thing for Elle to say, but it didn't exactly feel fair. After all, her family shouldn't have been giving her such a hard time, at least as far as Jacqueline believed. Still, she didn't want to seem unsupportive herself, so she merely gave a carefree smile and a wave of her hand.

Ah, it's no big deal. What else am here for, eh?"

Elle gave her a knowing look. "No, you're here because you can be. But being my friend, and such a good one at that? That's all you, Jacquie." She smiled, her tension finally breaking as she beckoned her friend forward. "Now come on, let's go tear up the ice and put these kids in their place. What do you say?"

"Sounds fine by me."

It was, of course, supposed to be a day of fun and games. At least, that was the idea, and Elle hoped they'd stick to it. The snow had not let up while they'd been inside—if anything, it had only gotten worse so that while it was still safe to be out, there were road closures on some of Seattle's steeper hills. Including hills, in fact, that lay between the girls and their destination.

It didn't even take any sort of verbal planning for all four of them to make their way to Jacqueline's garage, where there were several sleds hung on the walls on brackets. Dottie and Elle pulled them down, and without hesitation Annise enthusiastically called dibs on the one with red runners. That seemed to pick the mood up considerably, and Elle couldn't help but smile at her youngest sister's antics.

"Do you even know how to steer that thing?" Dottie asked, pulling on her gloves as she watched Annise carry the sled to the entryway of the garage. Elle took a pair of skates off a nearby shelving unit, knotting the laces together and hanging them about her neck. Annise didn't even bother looking back to answer.

"Probably better than you know how to drive a car." Dottie was a notoriously bad driver, even on the sunniest of days.

"Low blow, twerp!"

Jacqueline emerged from the house, slipping a scarf around her neck while toting a thermos of something in the other. "No more fighting or I'll start swinging too you guys, fair warning," she teased, though Elle could tell her friend was genuinely hoping for a break from the bickering as much as she was.

"We're good, Jacquie. Annise is just getting a bit too big for her britches," Dottie replied calmly, following after her sister. "I'm going to go and make sure she doesn't run into traffic with all that self-righteousness. Hurry up and catch up with us while you can."

"Sure thing!" Elle replied, though her attention was clearly fixed on the countertop opposite the shelving. It was the space where Bernard had been working on that pocket watch of his, but there didn't seem to be any remaining traces of it left behind. He must have finished with it, she wondered, or at least have moved it inside. She found herself both oddly curious and inexplicably frightened of the very idea of that watch, and had the urge to know where it was at all times even though it was absolutely none of her business. She reminded herself to stay out of things that didn't involve her, and shook her head.

"You ready?"

"Absolutely." She followed Jacqueline out of the garage before the door closed behind them, her stomach fluttering anxiously at the thought of what the next 24 hours might bring. But at the sound of her sister's laughter and shrieks in the distance she reminded herself to enjoy the moment, and set aside her worries and concerns. They could wait just a little longer.

* * *

Bernard hadn't wanted to use a good portion of the last day he had to spend with Elle cooped up back at the Workshop, but he hadn't had much of a choice. As it so happened the storm raging throughout Elfsburg had peaked again during his time with Santa, setting things behind in schedule on the floor and keeping him grounded.

Doubly grounded in fact, because not only was it keeping his now rather minimal teleporting abilities incapable of functioning, but it also meant he couldn't take Santa up on the offer of taking a sleigh and one of the reindeer to get back to Seattle. Not that he was particularly keen on the latter idea anyway, since he suspected it was a means of Scott laying down an insurance plan so that Bernard would _have_ to return come the next morning. Not that he couldn't understand his boss's concern—given that most of his current concerns revolved around Elle, and _not_ his duties as Head Elf— but he didn't exactly enjoy the feeling that Santa didn't trust him to follow through. He _had_ given his word, after all.

At any rate, he'd been helping to sort out the mess in final preparations from the safety of his office, away from eager eyes. Even with a reasonably good (if _close)_ shave it was clear that Bernard wasn't elf enough to pass without suspicion on the main floor. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself, or worse cause a riot because the elves thought he was leaving them for good—especially not when there was less than 36 hours till Santa needed to be airborne.

But luckily, Quentin was still cued in on what was happening, so Bernard could give him instructions and have him pass them along wherever they needed to go. That left him with plenty of time (and finally, all the tools he needed) to finish his side project.

Bernard wasn't exactly sure why he was so intent on repairing the Watch that had gotten them into so much trouble in the first place. If it weren't for that blasted hunk of metal, he and Elle just might have been engaged or even _married_ by then—who knew how things might have gone if they'd had this year _together._ Instead, he was grasping at straws just to have her remember him, and that realization had made him want to hurl the half-assembled relic in the trash more times than he cared to think of let alone count.

He'd all but finished the repairs. He'd spent a good portion of the morning replacing the tiny inner workings of the device until his fingers were sore and he had a headache from prolonged close work. Not to mention, his bad sleep schedule? Yeah, that didn't fly nearly as well when he didn't have full elven stamina to back him up. He was tired and anxious and felt like a sore thumb in what was his own space, none of which were pleasant.

But then at long last he was replacing the back-plate, fumbling with stiff fingers over the miniscule screws before pulling away with a deep sigh. He turned the Watch over in his hands, staring at the ornate cover before clicking the device open and staring at it's now neatly ticking hands. A strong feeling of disappointment washed over him as he realized that it was _just_ a watch. There were no magical properties to it anymore, nothing to kick start its secondary functions.

Really, what _had_ he been expecting? A miracle?

It didn't seem to matter much now. Even if it _had_ worked, it wouldn't have made a difference because the real turning point of the situation lay with Elle. _She_ had to remember what happened, and that was what mattered most.

"You did _not_ take my advice about sleeping, did you." He glanced up with a start to find a blustery looking Jacqueline standing before his desk.

"Jacquie? How did you get in here?"

"Well I mean the door was unlocked, so…"

"No, I mean past the storm! Everyone's been on lockdown because of how crazy it is out there. I couldn't get through it either."

"No offense B-Man, but you're not at one hundred percent right now." The sprite looked around with curious eyes. "So what's the deal, you calling it quits with Elle or what? I didn't expect to find you holed up in here."

"Like I said, couldn't get through the storm."

"Ah, right. I guess it's your lucky day that I decided to show up then. Elle was getting worried, said she couldn't seem to reach you mentally. Do you think that's the storm's doing too?"

"I have no idea." He reached out towards the connection with Elle only to find the thread not glowing, but lifeless and cold. "Yeah, something is definitely not right around here. Santa is worried about flight conditions, how is he going to take off if this weather holds up?"

"Has anyone bothered to contact Father Time?"

"He's not responding to any of our attempts to get in touch. Even your grandmother can't tell us where he's gone; her best guess was that he's in another dimension right now."

"Convenient." Jacqueline snorted distastefully.

"Besides, last I was told this storm had something to do with what's happened to the timeline."

"You think this thing's maybe kicked up because there's going to be a major change? Maybe even a reversal?"

"You know I hope so."

"In that case, we need to bust out of this joint and get back to business. I'm sure Elle's worried out of her gourd, since I kind of just up and left in the middle of an outing."

"You didn't explain why?"

"I said something came up, I just didn't think to go into detail since I was a _little_ worried that in your condition, you might have poofed yourself into the void."

"Yeah, I'm probably going to need to hold off on any more teleporting for the time being."

"I second that. Now, let's get going?"

"Sure." Scribbling down a quick note for Quentin, Bernard tossed his coat on and scooped the watch into his pocket. "Let's go."

They reappeared with a shudder on a busy, snow dusted street. Jacqueline shook her head dizzily.

"That storm does _not_ feel friendly."

"How do you mean?"

"Well on my end of things, it feels like too much static energy and not enough snow going on. A nasty, nagging sort of feeling. You okay?"

"A little winded, but fine. And I'm sure the lack of snow is the least of our worries, but sure. I'll take your word for it. Where are we?" Bernard cast about for any sign of Elle but was only met with strangers. "You said you were on an outing?"

"More of a snow day really, with Elle and her sisters. I left them at the ice rink, it should be just around the bend here..."

" _And_ her sisters?"

"Jacqueline, _look out!_ " A snowball came hurtling in their direction, which Jacqueline artfully dodged. This however, meant Bernard took the blow straight to the face.

"Sorry!"

He caught himself and brushed his coat sleeve over his face before spitting out a wet chunk of snow, just in time to see Annise jogging towards them. "Dottie's aim isn't what it used to be since she stopped playing softball," she called in halfhearted apology, grinning mischievously. "Oh hey Bernard, long time no see."

"You're really coming after me today with the roasts, aren't ya?" Dottie came out from behind a tree, rolling her eyes. Her expression quickly grew more intrigued as she realized who she was looking at. "This is Bertrand?"

"Ber _nard_ ," Annise corrected yet again. This time Bernard was present for it, and found himself grinning at her conviction.

"Not bad," he said, ruffling the girl's hair. Annise made an annoyed sound and shot him a dirty look. "Yeah, that's me."

"Dorothy Connelly. So, you're Jacqueline's cousin?"

"Something like that," Bernard replied, face still unpleasantly cold and damp as he shook the girl's hand.

"The one Elle has the hots for?" The skeptical look had shifted to wily interest, and he almost would have smiled at it if he hadn't been turning bright pink. And looking to Jacqueline for a rescue. "Ah..?"

"The very same." Wow, so no help from her quarter.

"That's one way to put it."

"Hey, where'd you guys—" Elle rounded the corner, relief dawning in her eyes. She set a had to her head and sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness, you're all here. First Jacquie runs off and then you two?" She looked past them and gave Bernard a tired smile. "And you too, that's a load off my mind."

"Here I am." He realized that that familiar calm had come over him again, easing his weariness. Was that just Elle's presence, or did it have something to do with the remains of the Clause? Only time would tell, he supposed.

"You just missed all the fun," Annise informed him, still fixing her mussed hair. "We went sledding, Elle and Jacqueline skated circles around _everybody_ …"

Bernard gave the winter sprite another dubious look, wondering for the thousandth (and not likely last) time how she hadn't blown her cover. Jacqueline didn't seem bothered though, merely shrugging.

"We met on an ice rink you know, so we've had our fair share of practice over the years."

"Seems like yesterday, doesn't it?" Elle said with a smile, and Jacqueline grinned.

"Sure does. But you know what they say about time and all."

Elle frowned. "That it waits for no man?"

"No, you goof. That it flies when you're having _fun._ "

"Ah. Good point." She looked skywards at the quickly fading light. "Speaking of which, I gate to ruin the bonding evening but Annise and Dottie need to get home before it's dark."

"What about you?" Dottie asked with just the faintest tinge of suspicion.

"I've got a few errands to run, and I'm spending the night at Jacquie's."

Anise sighed. "Again? Come on Elle, you've gotta come home at some point."

"No she's right." To everyone's surprise, it was Dottie who had spoken. She smirked, casting a sly glance between her sister and Bernard. "Let her have tonight, we'll call an Uber or something."

"Is that safe?"

"I'll go with," Jacqueline offered with a shrug, casting a wink at Bernard. "Make sure they get home safe. You just make sure Elle does the same, okay B-Man?"

"Of course," Bernard replied immediately, at the same time Elle scoffed in embarrassment.

"I mean, it's not like I can't look after my _self_ …"

"Maybe, but he'll do a better job of it than you will."

"Oh." Elle quickly turtled up at that, her nose and cheeks flushing pink as she hid her chin in her scarf and mumbled an 'okay'.

"You kids be safe!" Jacqueline called as she followed Annise and Dottie back towards where they'd left their things.

"Yeah, safe! Safe is good! Make sure you use prot—" Dottie was blessedly cut off thanks to a quick move from Jacquie's elbow. Elle hid her face in her hand, mortified.

"I am _so_ sorry about her," she apologized as she and Bernard turned their feet towards the more active part of the city. Bernard just grinned and shook his head, still a little red about the ears as he reached down and scooped her free hand into his.

"Don't worry about it, she's just trying to get under your skin." He looked up at the lights switching on in the trees, then back at Elle who was still trying to get ahold of herself after the embarrassment and now his sudden closeness. She hadn't been fully aware of how much she'd missed him until he was back, and it made her heart ache to think this was as good as the last time she'd ever spend with him. The idea almost made her tear up.

"Where are we going?" His question and a gentle squeeze of her hand brought Elle out of her dismal thoughts.

"Hmm? Ah, Macy's. I need to pick up the gifts I put on layaway for the party tomorrow." She tilted her head. "And wrap them, come to think of it."

"You didn't have the store wrap them for you?"

A shrug. "I dunno, it just feels like cheating somehow. Takes the personal touch out of gift giving. At least, that's how I see it."

"Makes sense to me. We should buy wrapping paper then, Jacqueline only has brown and silver paper at her house."

"Yeah—are you sure you want to do this?" Elle paused in their walk, looking anxious. "I mean, this is your last night here…are you sure there isn't anything else you should or, or want to be doing?" She fidgeted with her coat pocket. "I can't say wrapping presents and sitting around with me is exactly the most _interesting_ way to—" She was cut off with a soft squeak by an unexpected and brusque kiss, warm hands on her cheeks. She felt her toes go tingly, a bright comforting feeling springing into her mind as that strange connection they had came glowing back to life in a strand of gold and silver.

"Are you okay with me being here?" Bernard seemed very serious yet vaguely amused waiting for her answer, for which she could only muster a weak nod.

"Yes, of course."

 _Then this is exactly what I want to be doing tonight._

He smiled, brushing a thumb over her cheek before taking her hand again. "Come on, I get the feeling it's going to start snowing again soon."

* * *

Two hours later they returned to Jacqueline's house, dusted with freshly fallen snowflakes and packages in their arms as they quietly entered the foyer. Jacqueline didn't seem to be around, but the tree lights were on and the fireplace was already lit. Both Bernard and Elle wondered if their friend had done this to create a romantic ambiance for them, but neither said anything to the other. Instead, they both mentally agreed the living room was the best place for their wrapping and set the packages on and around the couch.

Bernard went off to find scissors and scotch tape in the study while Elle went and turned the kettle on for cocoa. She went and changed out of her clothes (since they were slightly damp from the day's snowy shenanigans), putting on a clean pair of jeans and a warm sweater along with some extra fuzzy socks (her toes were still cold from the switch between skates and shoes.) It was only when she returned that she offhandedly realized that Bernard was clean faced.

"You shaved?"

"Yeah, it was kind of getting on my nerves…" He froze in the process of running a hand over his cheek, frowning. "You sound a little disappointed."

"No! Well, I mean…" Elle fidgeted with the tags on one of the bags, grateful that the dim lights hid her blush. "It _was_ kind of hot," she murmured shyly, a jolt of pleasant surprise running though her at the sound of his chuckle and the sensation of a kiss pressed to the top of her head before he took a seat beside her on the floor.

"I'll keep that in mind." If she hadn't felt so genuinely content and happy Elle might have laughed. She thought she was a relatively difficult person to make sentimental, but here she was making a complete fool of herself.

"I'm surprised you found time to do Christmas shopping, considering how you haven't been home long."

Elle shrugged, pulling the plastic off a roll of wrapping paper. "I shopped online yesterday and scheduled for in-store pickup to save time, considering how my mom would flip out if I forgot to bring gifts to the party."

"You can do that on such short notice?"

"The future is here, Bernard." She spent a few minutes sorting out the gifts by person and size before the water went off. She went to make the drinks and came back only a few minutes later to find soft holiday music playing over the sound system and a pile of wrapped presents in front of him.

"This sort of just…happened," he apologized as Elle passed him a cup topped with whipped cream.

"That was quick, holy crap." She plunked down beside him again, setting her up on the coffee table before picking one of the packages up and inspecting it. "These are _really_ well done too."

"It's no big deal."

"No I mean it, these are lovely!" Elle set them aside, chuckling. "I don't know why I'm so surprised, maybe it's just because I'm used to my dad mangling the hell out of the gift wrapping. One time he used so much tape the box couldn't even be opened without a knife. We barely salvaged the gift!"

"He's that bad?"

"It's a _bloodbath._ Thankfully, mom does the wrapping now." She tilted her head with a sad sort of smile. "At least that's how it usually goes. I've kind of missed two Christmases by now." She pulled one of the bigger packages down and picked a different paper, sniffing a little. She felt a hand on her knee and looked over to find Bernard watching her with concern.

"I know you still feel guilty Elle, but maybe try to look at things this way: once you have the answers you're looking for, you won't have to keep secrets anymore."

"I just get the awful feeling that things aren't going to go back to normal once I know the truth," she said. She looked down at the scissors in her hand and sighed. "What if whatever I find out changes who I am, or how I see things? What if I'm never going to just be _myself_ again?" Elle scoffed softly. "Sorry, this isn't supposed to be about me talking about my problems. _Again_."

"Maybe things shouldn't be the way they were." This reply surprised her, but Bernard seemed very convinced. "Maybe what you need is the truth, and to move forward with that. Maybe going backwards isn't the answer."

"That's a different way of looking at it."

A shrug. "It's just an idea, because I don't like seeing you stress yourself out by running in mental circles that won't get you anywhere. You can't really know if finding the answers you're looking for will make things better or worse until you have them. Though, I for one hope they make things better—even if it's not in the way you were expecting."

Elle nodded, folding the edges of the paper around the box and securing them with a piece of tape he passed over. "I could use that kind of optimism, to be honest. Thank you."

It was Bernard's turn to laugh. "I can probably count the times I've been called an optimist on both hands, but you're welcome."

"Really?"

"Is it that surprising?"

"Well, you've always been very positive with me. I mean, it's like you always know what to say to calm me down, and I'm not exactly an easy person to get through to."

He shook his head. "It's not that you're hard to get through to, it's just that you spend a lot of time blocking people out."

"I guess it's a good thing that I'm bad at blocking you out then." Elle stopped curling ribbon and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. She felt him smile and pulled away, playing as though nothing had happened as she went about fixing the ribbons to the top of the last package. "Well, that's the last of them. Hopefully it's enough to keep mom off my back."

"Not bad."

Elle rolled her eyes. "Oh right, I'd forgotten you're the expert wrapper."

"Hey, I have my experience." He nudged her playfully in the side and Elle squeaked in surprise before eyeing him sideways.

"Wrapping experience, huh? Maybe Annise isn't half wrong about you being an elf after all."

As much as that put Bernard on the spot (and despite the way it made his heart stop for a solid beat or two) he kept his composure. "If that's true than you must've been an elf in a past life, because you're not bad yourself."

"Touché." _That_ had blown over easily enough. Still, she seemed a little sad as she set the presents under the tree.

"What are you thinking about now?"

"Hmm?" Elle stood up, brushing her pants off to get rid of the white carpet lint. "Oh, it's…" She waved a hand. "It's nothing."

"You're a bad liar."

She sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Boy, do I know it. It's just not important to talk about."

"Elle, I spent three and a half hours listening to you talk conspiracy theory. I'm pretty much willing to listen to you talk about anything at this point."

It was obvious by the way she was casting her eyes about that she was nervous to say whatever was on her mind, and if that wasn't enough he could feel their mental connection vibrating anxiously. "It's… I just…"

Bernard raised an eyebrow, waiting with a shopping bag in had that was full of the remainder of the wrapping items. Elle fidgeted uncomfortably before blurting out what was upsetting her.

"I'm sad you're leaving! I wish you weren't, okay? Because I like you, and…and…" She cast her eyes down and took the bag from him. "It's whatever. I'm sorry."

"Elle, I…" But she was already down the hall, stuffing the bag into a storage closet in a half-hearted effort to hide the fact that she was tearing up.

In all honesty, Bernard hadn't exactly expected Elle to be too bothered about his leaving. Maybe he was still expecting the responses of the girl he'd known before, or maybe he'd just figured that she'd be too worried about her own problems to pay much notice to his departure. But it was clear he'd been wrong, and she was just as torn up about saying goodbye as he was.

That he wasn't, in fact, the only one who cared.

Elle considered not returning to the living room at all, figuring that maybe if she self-sabotaged the evening it wouldn't hurt quite so much the next morning to see he'd left. But she didn't have a chance to act on that idea as a hand pushed the door closed in front of her, and there was Bernard, looking just about as conflicted as she was.

"Would you wait for me?" Once again he managed to shock her with his question, but he seemed so serious and hung up on her reply that she couldn't be bothered to second guess his sincerity. It definitely came out of the blue, since neither of them had made any serious talk about what was going on between them until now.

Elle immediately scowled, but it was mainly out of hurt. "Don't play games," she said with a sniff, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. "You already said you're not coming back."

"That was before you happened." It was his turn to fidget, this time with a spool of gold ribbon Elle had accidentally left behind. He was also definitely red around the edges. Still, his eyes didn't leave hers. "If I promised to come back for you, after I finish what I need to take care of…would you wait, to be with me?"

She stared at him in disbelief just a little too long for his comfort. "How could you even _ask_ that?" she said with a crack in her voice, and he felt his stomach sank. Elle fell silent for a moment before going on, and Bernard's whole world turned right side up again.

"You're the only person who's _ever_ taken me seriously when it comes to the things I care about. You've never acted like I'm crazy, you're not _afraid_ of my weird mental powers and by some miracle of fate you're into me as much as I'm into you? I mean, that's an assumption I suppose but all the signs say that and—" She paused for air. "I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

He hesitated before nodding slightly.

Elle took a deep breath swiping tears away from her cheeks. "Yeah, Bernard. I'd say I'm pretty good at waiting for what I want, so what's a little while longer, hmm?"

"So…that's a yes?"

Even though she could already taste the outrage from her parents that was undoubtedly going to come from this decision, Elle didn't have the heart to take back her words when she saw the hope in his eyes.

"Yes. I'll wait for you. I mean, I can't promise it'll work but... we can try."

Bernard's relief was visible, a lightening of his posture and expression and aura that Elle could feel through their connection as a rush of excitement and happiness and…that familiar comforting feeling. He broke into a wide smile and Elle fell into tears again as e scooped her into his arms. For the first time in a long while for either of them, it felt like something was going right.

"Thank you." In the heat of the moment none of the details of that promise seemed to matter to Bernard, just that they weren't going to have to say goodbye—possibly forever—that night.

"Thank me? I should be thanking you. I'd assumed I was an afterthought in your eyes, I…I thought you'd make fun of me for crying about you leaving." Elle tucked her face into the crook of his neck, memorizing his hug.

"An afterthought? Never. And make fun of you? Not a chance." It felt like a weight off his chest to know that Elle was at least mildly serious about him, even when she didn't understand what was going on. Reassuring, somehow. "Now, come on. I don't want to waste anymore tears tonight, okay?" He swiped at her cheeks with his thumb and Elle nodded, forcing a watery smile.

"Okay."

They spent the rest of the evening cuddled up on Jacqueline's sofa, tucked safely into several of the super soft blankets with Elle's head on his shoulder as they watched whatever Christmas movies were playing on tv. Elle could only claim to halfway be paying attention, though. It had seemed like such a simple thing to promise to wait for Bernard to come back, but ten she remembered that he'd been caught up in another girl just days before. Was he a trustworthy person to hang so much hope on? What if he didn't keep his word? What if he fell in love with someone _else_ while he was away? There were a lot of uncomfortable questions hanging over her head. She hardly knew anything about him, and he knew nearly everything about her. She felt very vulnerable and worried by these thoughts, unaware of her grip on his hand tightening throughout the night.

She wasn't the only one stunned by what had happened. Bernard couldn't believe the limb he'd just gone out on, offering to come back _regardless of what happened_. What if Elle didn't remember? What if he had to tear up her contracts and face her as an elf, without her understanding? Or worse, what if he didn't become an elf again because she didn't remember? What if he _stayed human?_ There were too many variables involved, and he'd just thrown away his one ticket out of the chaos. He finally understood why Scott was skeptical of him returning for Christmas Eve, simply because whenever Elle was involved he had a recurring habit of throwing all caution to the wind. Did he deserve to be trusted, by Santa or Elle? For all intents and purposes he was lying to both.

It was a miracle that neither of them felt the tension between them, buzzing in the air and along their mental connection. Perhaps they were both trying too hard to ignore it and enjoy what little time they had before everything spun out of control—or maybe, they were both trying hard not to think about the same thing.

Was it really safe to offer so much before either of them had even said _I love you?_

* * *

MORE THANKS TO SAFYRESKY FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY RAMBLES AND LETTING ME PLOT DUMP AND GIVING ME GOOD IDEAS

MORE THANKS TO MELLO AKA QUEENOFDORKS IN THE REVIEW SECTION FOR MAKING BERNARD ALTERNATE HAIRSTYLE SKETCHES THAT HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE

ADDITIONAL THANKS TO THE CHAINSMOKERS AND COLDPLAY FOR 'Something Just Like This' WHICH SCREAMS BERNELLE TO ME RIGHT NOW

BASICALLY NONE OF THE GOOD STUFF IN THIS WOULD BE WHAT IT IS WITHOUT THE INTERACTION IGET AS I AM AN INSPIRATION SPONGE SO THANK YOU (the problematic garbage is on me as usual)

As always, feedback and reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks for reading!

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	26. Chapter 26

_26._

"…Elle? You slept out here?"

The sound of Jacqueline's mildly confused voice brought Elle around. The last she'd remembered, she'd been barely staying awake through the end of _It's a Wonderful Life,_ being lulled to sleep by the feeling of Bernard stroking her hair. She sighed, rolling over and squinting at the bright winter sunlight filtering through the blinds. It was sunny outside she noted as she sat up, and that's when it hit her that the rest of the sofa was empty.

Bernard was gone.

"I guess I did," she mumbled, rubbing sleepily at her eyes. There was a sad nagging feeling in her stomach, which she could only assume came from the disappointment that she'd missed saying goodbye. Though, perhaps that was a mercy. It would have been emotional and probably tense as well, and while she'd have liked that little bit of temporary closure, maybe it was better to just keep the peace of the evening before in her mind. Today would be chaotic enough, no doubt.

"You must have been busy then." There was a humorous undertone to Jacqueline's words that made Elle squint.

"You trying to say something, Frost?" She scooted to the edge of the couch, dropping her feet to the floor. The hardwood was a little chilly still, but thankfully she was still wearing socks.

"Nothing that the both of us don't already know." Jacqueline crossed her arms, still smirking as she took in the faintly messy room. "You remembered the gifts this year, great! Thought I was going to have to nag you about that."

"I'm not completely useless, you know."

"Oh I know. But I'll bet Bernard was a big help, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, actually." Elle decided not to wilt under her friend's teasing, especially as the memory of what she had promised the night before came back to her. She looked up with a slightly dreamy expression. "It was really nice."

"Geez, kid. You really do have it bad, don't you?" Elle admitting things rather than denying the obvious was new— a bit worrying even considering the circumstances, but then, Jacqueline figured it was only going to get more bizarre from here.

Elle got up and stretched, then shrugged. "I mean, you did say that we both already knew, so it's not really a revelation. Besides, I can like someone without being totally smitten, this isn't a crappy rom-com. Got anything good in the house for breakfast?"

"I thought you'd be a little more upset that he's left so early." Now Jacqueline was getting concerned. "Actually, I thought you'd be a bit more distressed at him leaving, since that was such a big concern for you a few days ago."

Elle sighed and rolled her eyes, scuffing almost too contently to the kitchen. Calm Elle was weird, and Jacqueline was beginning to think she didn't like it. "You're making too big a deal of this, Jacquie."

"I am? I wasn't the one having a crisis over a guy I'd just met."

"Low blow. Are we out of cereal?"

"Hey if the shoe fits. Check the top of the fridge."

"Ooh, Lucky Charms. And I'm not a Cinderella." Seeing Jacqueline's confusion, Elle made a gesture with the box. "If the _shoe fits…"_

"Oh good grief. It's too early in the morning for your puns, stop that." But Elle was chuckling, and it made the sprite wonder if this was such a bad thing. Wait, of course it wasn't. Elle was _happy._ The only question was—with a family party she was dreading coming up and answers she'd spent years searching for just around the corner—how was _happiness_ trumping her _stress_? "Seriously though, what happened between you two last night? Don't be graphic!" She added quickly, causing Elle to almost drop the milk. "But explain, if you don't mind. I'm a bit confused."

"It _wasn't_ graphic, first off," Elle corrected, waggling her spoon in a chastising way. "Secondly, it's…" She trailed off, going a little pink. Her voice got a little higher too. "It's not a _big_ deal, it's just…"

"Elle, oh my gods. Spit it out."

"He _may_ have suggested that if I wanted to wait for him… he would come back after Christmas." Immediately Elle was smiling to herself, seeming almost a little giddy—but Jacqueline was flabbergasted.

"He said _what?!_ "

"Do I _really_ need to repeat myself, or..?"

"Wha—no! I don't know! Maybe?"

"You seem more surprised by this than I thought you'd be."

It wasn't just that this went against what Bernard had told Jacqueline his plan was, but that it went against common sense. As far as Jacqueline knew, Elle had to return to the Pole before Christmas or something very bad would go wrong. They couldn't _wait_ until after. Was Bernard just trying to keep Elle calm in the meantime? Because if so, she had to hand it to him: it was working. But if _not,_ then that meant he was going to tear up Elle's contract— and that was _very_ alarming, to say the least.

"I guess I just didn't think either of you were so serious about this." Jacqueline sat down, wondering what on earth Bernard was playing at. Not that she didn't trust him to have a plan, because that was something he was very good at. But she was worried that he was being short sighted. There was still so much up in the air that she would have thought it a little early to be making promises to an Elle who couldn't see the whole picture—yet.

"Neither did I, really." Elle sat down beside her, pulling her bowl closer. "I mean, I got a little upset, which was probably to be expected. I thought he'd just apologize and say something lame about 'if the situation were different, blah blah blah'. Hell, I considered ditching him entirely and avoiding the subject. But then he suggested this, and I realized that seeing him again meant more to me than I'd realized. Maybe even a little more than I understand." She paused in stirring her cereal, looking over at her friend. "You ever feel that way? Like something is more important than you realize, but it'll come to you later?"

"Sometimes. Though not usually about something so serious."

Elle nodded, and turned back to her breakfast. "Anyway, we didn't make any definite plans. It's just a promise that he'll come back to see me, and I won't go and fall in love in the meantime."

"So you guys are like old timey engaged."

"What?"

Jacqueline smirked, lacing her hands atop the counter. "Verbal agreements were how a lot of engagements happened back in the day."

"What are you, like a hundred years old?"

"Ugh, hardly." _As if, she wasn't an infant after all._

"Then why would you say something like that?" Ah, there was the flustered Elle Jacquie had been expecting: all pink around the edges and rubbing at the back of her neck like she was about to break out in a sweat.

"You two swap promise rings?"

"You know what, I hate you."

"No you don't. You'd be lost without me!" Jacqueline elbowed her friend teasingly. "I'm happy for you, you know," she added, more seriously this time. "I mean it. You seem happy since he's been around. Maybe this will be good for you both. Goodness knows you could use the affection, and he needs something to focus on besides work. It's a good match."

"Yeah, because I'm sure those are our exact reasons." Elle rolled her eyes, mouth full of breakfast. Jacqueline shook her head and hopped up off the stool.

"Yeah well, I won't pry into the intricacies of your relationship. In the meantime, we have a party to get ready for?"

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"Finish your marshmallows and milk and meet me upstairs when you're done."

"It's cereal!"

"Barely."

"Stop being the mom friend."

"And take a shower, while you're at it."

" _Jacquie!"_

* * *

Getting back into the confines of the Pole had been a bit more of a magic trick than either Jacqueline or Bernard had been expecting. The teleporting had taken _both_ of their collective energy to break past the barrier the time storm was creating—granted, Bernard didn't have a lot by way of magical energy to offer at the time, but still. It was the idea that was most troubling.

Luckily Jacqueline got them in and kept them in their respective shapes, rather than scattering their atoms all over the place from the interference. Bernard thanked her and counted himself lucky, since without her help he would have been as stranded as any ordinary non-magical being. Jacqueline of course had made little of it, but when she'd left he'd noticed how hard she had steeled herself before vanishing—and how her teleportation sparks seemed to almost catch fire before they hit the ground. It was all very odd.

That had been just the beginning of the odd things going on, regrettably. He'd taken a detour home to change out of his 'human' clothes and back into his work ones, adjusting his beret and hair to cover his rather un-pointed ears before making the somewhat dangerous trek to the Workshop. Indeed, when he showed up, the doors were barred against the weather, and if an elf hadn't happened to pass by the glass he might not have gotten in.

"Bernard?" The elf's voice could hardly be heard over the howling of the wind, and Bernard slipped inside just in time to avoid being hit by a stray branch whipping past. The door was shoved shut behind him, as he shook the snow out from his coat. "What were you doing out there? The boss has a ban on all outside tasks until the storm lets up!"

"Does he? I must've missed that."

" _Bernard!"_ The boom of Santa's stern voice from the second floor made him jump, eyes shooting up to the balcony. Scott was using his dad voice, which was always a bad sign. Already expecting a lecture (perhaps even in front of the other elves) Bernard forced a nervous smile.

"Santa! I can explain—"

"We need you in my office, _yesterday_." Scott shot him a serious look, one that told him all he needed to know but answered nothing to the same time. Something had gone wrong, and it had to do with him, but it was also more serious than his being a tad late to return to work as he'd promised.

"Right away, sir."

Not seeming satisfied but clearly in too much of a hurry to deliberate, Scott turned away from the railing and moved off in the direction of his suites. Bernard stood in worried shock for a moment before casting a reassuring look around at the elves that had naturally gravitated around him, as if seeking some sort of comfort.

"It's okay, you guys." He gave them a more genuine smile, setting his hands on the closest shoulders. "We'll get this sorted out. Just keep on task, alright? We're close to launch, and we need to focus! Chins up."

That seemed to help the mood, even though the elves seemed a little hesitant to believe him. The truth was that Bernard was their leader (under Santa, of course,) and if they couldn't trust him, who could they trust? Besides, didn't they always find a way to muddle through in the end, regardless of how difficult things got? They moved off to their various tasks, leaving a clear path for Bernard to make his way to Santa's office.

Quentin caught him on the way there, falling in line beside him as he continued at a brisk clip. "There you are! I was wondering if you could make it through this mess at all."

"Had some help from Jacqueline."

"The younger Frost sibling?"

"That's the one."

"Well I suppose if anyone could make it through blizzard winds, it's her."

"I'm in a bit of a hurry, Quent. What's your concern, why are you trailing me?"

"Well other than passing the torch back to you as far as leadership goes, I wanted to give you the radar charts from the Tracking department." He passed a clipboard over and Bernard paused in his march, sighing as he flipped through the pages with an expert eye. He frowned.

"These are current?"

"Fresh as of twenty minutes ago."

"Terrific." Bernard's tone was as chock full of irony as possible. He flipped the papers shut and tucked the clipboard under his arm. "Anything else that I should know about?"

"Nothing that Santa won't tell you himself." They had reached the door to Santa's study, which was ajar and allowed a good look into the room. Standing behind Scott's desk was none other than the Legendary they most needed at a time like this, and Bernard's voice cracked a little from mixed relief and concern.

"Father Time?" Bernard's disbelieving gaze shifted to Quentin for a moment, and the other elf only shrugged before nodding and taking his leave in silence. The purple robed figure turned at the sound of his voice, nearly dropping a book he was holding. It was unlike him to be startled, and Bernard was immediately suspicious.

"Bernard! Didn't expect you to be back so soon," the legend said with a slightly awkward laugh, and that only made things even more worrying.

"I promised Santa I'd be here for Christmas eve." Narrowing his eyes, Bernard cautiously stepped into the room. "What are you doing in his study?"

"Ah, just tying a couple of loose ends, really." He seemed to be hiding the book in his hands, but the elf caught a glimpse of a green binding and his stomach sank. He knew that book all too well. His face fell, and he gave the figure a deadpan, disappointed look.

"With all due respect sir, please don't lie to me. What are you doing with Elle's contract?"

Father Time's eyes shifted to the book, and he ran a hand over the over. He sighed. "This isn't how I wanted things to end, you know."

His feeling of unease and dread only growing, Bernard inched closer, almost as if approaching someone who might make a devastating mistake at a moment's notice. "That's a little cryptic. Care to explain what you mean by that? And maybe, I don't know, set the book down in the meantime?"

The time lord nodded, setting the book down on the desk. Bernard let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, shoulders sagging slightly. He'd gotten a few hours of sleep in at Elle's side, but it wasn't enough to make up for the fatigue he felt from both his impending humanity and the stress of the numerous situations he was trying to maintain—another of which seemed to be forming right in front of him.

"It's been almost nineteen years since Ellington Connelly was born. That's nearly nineteen years in a reality that should have never existed," Father Time lamented, taking a seat on the sofa with a sense of tiredness that was a bit uh even for him. It made Bernard think. Were the problems with the timelines affecting the Legend's well-being? It seemed obvious, when he slowed down to think about it.

"I guess you can thank Jack Frost for that," Bernard said ruefully, clasping his hands behind his back. Hs position was short lived, however, as he was quickly gestured to take a seat. Reluctantly (and while acutely aware of his other responsibilities that needed tending to now more than ever,) he complied.

"Yes. You were correct about Frost's involvement with the Watch. Though I've been unable to pinpoint exactly how he caused it, it's clear to me now that he did in fact trigger the device and manipulate it to his own purposes."

Bernard sat in silence, nodding. If he hadn't been so weary of everything the crossed timelines had caused, then he might have been smug to hear he had been right.

"That being said, the damage is done—and must be either stopped, or reversed entirely. The closer that we draw to midnight, however, I fear that the latter option slips away from us. Which is why I came for the contract."

"So you were going to tear it?"

"Yes."

It didn't come as a comfort, but at least he was being honest.

"Why?"

"As much as you might not like it, I believe you already _know_ why."

 _That_ was the unsettling part.

"But it was agreed that I could go and try to fix this! To bring Elle back and fix the, the whatever the term is."

"The anomaly."

"Right. What's changed?"

"Firstly, that arrangement was never between you and I. That arrangement was between you and Santa, meaning that my duties and obligations are completely separate from whatever you two have agreed to do."

Bernard scowled. "Which means?"

"Which means that if my responsibilities to keeping the timeline functional means I have to violate a verbal agreement between you and your boss, I absolutely will."

"That doesn't seem very fair."

"It doesn't matter a lot in the grand scheme of things how fair it is, Bernard."

"It matters to me!" He stood up, practically shaking. "It matters to Elle, even if she doesn't know it yet."

"And yet here we are on Christmas eve, and _where_ is Miss Connelly?" The Legend gestured around at the otherwise empty room. "According to you, she doesn't even know this universe from the one she left behind. She's indifferent to the matter of this contract."

"By tonight she won't be!" He was finding it increasingly hard to not raise his voice at the man, granted how it felt like Father Time was willing to ruin all he'd been working for. "If things go well, she'll remember everything. Who she is, what went wrong. For tinsel's sake, she'll be able to tell us _exactly_ what happened with Jack, and at that point we can put this all to rest! But you want to throw that all away before she—we—even have a chance!"

"Hey Berna—oh. Oh?" Scott walked in at exactly the wrong moment to find his head elf staring down a legendary figure that had, until now, been very MIA. The apparent tension told him to tread carefully. "What's going on here, exactly?"

"I believe we're just having a slight misunderstanding," Father Time replied slowly, casting a vaguely annoyed look at Santa that spoke volumes.

"There's no _misunderstanding_ here. Santa, he's going to destroy Elle's contract." Bernard crossed his arms, waiting for Scott to get up to speed with the situation.

"Why is that?" Santa frowned, unsure who's side to take just yet—though, admittedly, Bernard did have a habit of overreacting when it came to this particular subject.

"You've seen the storm outside," Father Time reminded them, with a gesture to the balcony. The windows had been hurricane taped, x's crossed over the panes to keep them from shattering against the wind.

"Kind of hard to miss it."

"Exactly. And it's going to be a lot harder for you to complete your duties if it isn't stopped." Father Time looked over to the place Bernard had been sitting, nodding at the clipboard he'd left behind. "But you're already aware of that, aren't you Bernard?"

"Bernard?" There was a long pause, during which a guilty silence hung over the elf's head. "What aren't you telling me here?"

If this storm isn't stopped," he said, holding out the clipboard reluctantly, "there's no way you're going to be able to take off in the sleigh tonight."

" _What._ " Scott snatched the papers from him, glancing through with a familiar eye.

"There's no way you and the reindeer could make it through this level of storm without getting torn to pieces."

"Didn't you beam in here?"

"With Jacqueline's help, and even then it was dicey. Santa…" Bernard looked at his feet. "I _know_ that you've already taken a lot of risks on what I'm doing—"

"Indeed I have! And I'm beginning to wonder if that wasn't the wrong choice."

His eyes shot up to meet Scott's. "You don't mean that, sir."

Scott sighed, wearily taking a seat behind his desk. "Bernard, I have to face the facts. You've been gone when I've needed you most. Your plan has put the entire operation in jeopardy by allowing this storm to torment us, while you've been off trying to bring Elle's memories back." He paused, growing interested. "Speaking of which, how did that go?"

Bernard cast his eyes over to Father Time. "Like I was telling you yesterday, it's still a work-in-progress."

"Right." Scott sighed, reaching into his desk drawer and pulling out his glasses before opening the book that had been left there. He took out the contract, turning it over in his hands before staring at the signature. He seemed to be considering a great many things at once.

"Santa, I'm giving you my professional warning." Father Time rose, leaning heavily on his staff. "If something isn't done about this storm, it's going to affect a lot more than just the confines of the North Pole. Don't force me to do something I might regret."

"That sounds a bit like a threat, Time." Scott looked up, arching an eyebrow.

"I suppose it is, in a way." The legend sighed. "I won't deny that Bernard has good reasons for his convictions—love is a powerful motivator. But regardless of how much you're willing to put your business, your very _holiday_ at stake for the sake of his ends, I won't hesitate to do what needs to be done for the sake of reality itself."

"So you're saying?"

"If the matter of this contract—of Ellington—isn't resolved in time for you to take flight tonight, then the document must be destroyed. And if you don't," he added, with a pointed look at Bernard, "then I _will_ take matters into my own hands."

There was another long pause. "Understood," Scott said gravely, and Bernard wanted to shout at him. _Did_ he understand? Did he _really_? Or did he just not care what happened to him and Elle, after all? He felt betrayed.

"Good." Seeming placated, Father Time moved towards the door, pausing to set a hand on Bernard's shoulder that the elf promptly shrugged away from. "I do hope things fall your way, Bernard. I just have to be willing to face the aftermath if they don't. You should take that scenario into consideration as well."

Bernard didn't reply, staring fixedly at the wall until the man left the room. He felt ready to burst with frustration, and anger, and something else. Heartbreak? Maybe. More like impending heartbreak. He'd lost Elle once before, and the idea of doing so again just…hurt. A _lot._

"Bernard, I know what you're going to say," Scott began.

"Do you now."

"Don't be like that."

"Be like _what?_ " Bernard demanded, his tone still lowered but filled with barely contained temper. He gestured out at the door. "Be angry that I'm somehow the bad guy for trying to fix this the way it _should_ be fixed, not just the _easy_ way?" He huffed, rolling his eyes. "You think I don't know how much this storm has set us back? How my leaving has been a _giant_ problem, for both you and the Workshop? How I've all but abandoned my responsibilities here to chase after smoke? I _know_. I've felt guilty about it _the entire time."_

Scott appeared a bit taken aback before reclining in his chair a little and lacing hands on his stomach. "Go on."

"I don't care about the inconvenience this time. Heaven only knows you've set us back countless times before—"

"Low blow."

"But true! And sure, I'm not a legend. I'm not the boss, who gets to make judgment calls on big decisions based on how I _feel_. I'm just an elf." He cast his eyes about the room and Scott couldn't tell if he was on the verge or angry tears or not. "But this matters to me, in a way that nothing has in a _very_ long time. I'm asking you— _begging_ you, really—to _let me fix this."_ He took a deep breath and blinked a few times. "I know it's a big leap of faith to take but I promise you—"

"Enough." Santa leaned forward and Bernard felt his stomach drop—that is, until Scott held the contract out to him. "Take it."

Hesitantly, Bernard reached out and took the document. Scott pointed at him severely. "I'm putting this into your hands, Bernard, quite literally. If this plan of yours doesn't work, you're the one who's going to be on the line. We always find a way to pull Christmas off, but if this ends up with no result and having only been the _biggest_ waste of time and energy then—"

"It's on me, I understand." The relief he felt at having the sheet of paper in his hands was immeasurable. Not only that, but that Scott was still behind him. He still trusted him to fix this. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't let me down, number one." He gave the elf a meaningful look over the rim of his glasses. "But remember what Father Time said. If we're close to launch with no sign of this storm lessening…"

"I'll need to shred the contract."

"I'm counting on you. We all are."

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to pass by too quickly after that.

It was Christmas eve, of course there were a billion and one things to do before Santa was ready to leave. But the launch clock was steadily counting down and this time, it felt downright definite. Bernard kept waiting, hoping that the sound of the storm beating on the walls of the Workshop would cease, indicating Elle having remembered and things having righted themselves. But the storm raged on and the elves began to murmur about the possibility of a flight delay.

That sort of thing had happened before. The time-space continuum was warped every Christmas—it was part of what allowed Santa to get around the world in so short a time. There had even been instances in years past when Santa (not Scott, though) had had to ask Father Time for an extension on his usual hours. It could happen again, if necessary—but it was drastic, and the idea certainly had tongues wagging.

That being said, Father Time was _not_ making himself scarce. Oh no, he was lurking around the workshop under the pretense of lending a hand, but Bernard was _not_ appreciative of the help. He didn't need to feel monitored on top of the already high stakes he was facing. But it didn't matter, he couldn't tell the legend to jut _leave,_ considering the circumstances.

They were less than two hours away from when Santa needed to be airborne when Bernard snuck away to the privacy of his office. He didn't exactly know what it would mean for him to shred Elle's contract. There was still so much up in the air. Would she remember _after_ Christmas? If so, would that matter if the contract was gone? Who knew. _Who knows about any of this,_ he thought miserably. He'd been leaning against his desk for a good ten minutes, refusing against his common sense to reach into his satchel and take out the contract. He didn't want to do this. He didn't _want_ to do this, and not just for the sake of destroying all roads back to the original timeline—but also, for the fact that it felt like he was betraying Elle.

He'd finally taken the document out, staring at the page morosely. "I'm sorry," he said softly, feeling tears sting his eyes for the second time (too many) that day. He shut his eyes, unable to watch as—

 _Zing!_

He jumped, slipping sideways and falling to the ground at the feeling of air whooshing past him and the page being yanked out of his hands.

"What on earth are you doing?!"

Bernard looked up, bewildered. " _Jacqueline?_ "

"Who else, you nut!" It _was_ Jacqueline, though a very frazzled, out-of-sorts looking Jacqueline it was. She wore an extravagant formal dress, but appeared quite mussed and tousled despite how fancily decked out her clothes were. "What are you doing with Elle's contract? You said you weren't going to destroy it!"

"That was _before_ I had Santa _and_ Father Time breathing down my neck, telling me I just might ruin everything if I don't!" Bernard sighed with frustration, clambering back to his feet. "You scared me half to death, honestly! Why'd you have to make an entrance like that?"

"Um, _besides_ the storm outside? You were about to destroy my best friend's past—and future, for that matter. Honestly Bernard, what's the matter with you? You haven't given a dime about what anyone else has said up until this point. Why start now?"

"Because I thought I didn't have any other _choice._ " Bernard glared at the sprite, feeling inordinately frustrated and without a suitable outlet to vent on. "Why are you here? Where's Elle?"

"That's what I came to ask _you._ "

"What?"

She sighed, collapsing in a poof of dark blue tulle in one of his sitting chairs. "You wouldn't believe the night I've had."

"Can you talk fast?"

Jacqueline gave him a sideways look. "Can you pay attention over the sound of your own anxiety?"

A sigh. "I'll do my best, now _spill."_

"You already know that tonight was the Connelly's Christmas party."

"Yes."

"A mundane sort of thing, since Phil and Josie invited all of their business connections. _Yawn_ inducing stuff, really _._ Anyway, I tagged along for moral support—and also because of what's been going on," she added, seeing his dubious look. "Everything seemed to be going alright—tense, but alright—until all of the adults were several rounds into the drinks and Annise had gone to bed. Then Josie got up in front of the crowd and made a toast." Jacqueline groaned and lolled her head back dramatically.

"What went wrong?"

"Josie rambles when she's tipsy, that's what. One thing led to another and her sly jibes at Elle being away for so long turned into Elle being put on the spot in front of the whole party."

"Oh no."

"Oh _yes._ And then as if things weren't bad enough already, Phil takes Josie's side? Starts demanding answers right then and there in front of the guests—and not just about Maine either, but about why she dropped out of school, about why she hasn't wanted to stay at home. And about you, since apparently Dottie didn't lie when she said she was going to tell her parents all about the two minutes she met and judged you."

"Terrific."

"Right? They gave her the full court press, in spite of the fact that the party's gone dead silent and the guests are uncomfortable and…" Jacqueline kicked at the rug in irritation. "I told them off, which just set them onto me about how I was supporting Elle in being rebellious and unruly, and at this point Elle is in tears—"

"I'm surprised she wasn't yelling."

"Then that should tell you how bad this hurt her." The sprite sat up, fixing him with a deathly serious look. "They called her childish and delusional in front of everyone their family knows, Bernard. They told her to grow up, and it was at _that_ point that I started yelling. By the time somebody dragged me out of her parents range, Elle was long gone. I have no idea where she went, the only lead I have is that now more than ever, she's likely to want to either use the dreamcatchers, or destroy them."

"Not the latter, she wouldn't do that after the trouble she's been through to find answers."

"If they really got through her armor the way I think they did? She just might."

Bernard swore under his breath. "She's not at home?"

Jacqueline shook her head. "That's why I came through this hell storm to find you. She's not at my place either. You're the only one who's been to her flat, do you know how to get there?"

"You really think that's where she's gone?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Probably not. I know how to get there, I _think_. The only problem with that is she teleported us there and back—and I never looked outside to see what part of the city we were in."

It was Jacqueline's turn to swear. "Was there anything distinctive about the place, anything we could use to narrow it down?"

"Um, well…"

"Focus, Bernard!"

"Okay, okay! There was a sort of industrial vibe to the place? The sound of traffic was close by, maybe it overlooked a busy street? And the horns! Every few minutes, like it was near the train tracks or something."

"Trains, you say?"

"Yeah."

Jacqueline got up. "I know where we're going. Come on."

"We? Jacquie, I can't go with you—"

"And I can't go without you! She needs _you_ , Bernard! What if we show up and she's remembered? You're the first face she needs to see."

He cast a glance back at the contract, still pinned to the far wall by Jacqueline's icicle. He gritted his teeth and grabbed his coat off the back of his chair. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

It took several tries to get where they needed to be. Not because Jacqueline was wrong about where they were headed, but because teleporting out of the Pole was practically a no-go. In fact, they both had to wonder if getting back _in_ was going to be a feasible thing. Bernard happened to say so out loud, but Jacqueline thought otherwise.

"I bet it'll let us back in if we have Elle with us, don't you think?"

She had a good point.

They landed in the mountains surrounding Elfsburg several times by mistake before breaking out of the dome and appearing somewhere in northern Siberia. Given how that was the entirely _wrong_ direction from they were headed, Jacqueline readjusted and a few minutes later they were stood, well wind whipped and flustered, outside Jacqueline's house.

"You sure she isn't inside?"

"I'unno, you tell me. You're the one with the mental connection and all."

Bernard frowned, reaching out along the connection to try and find Elle. To his surprise (and alarm) the silver thread was cold and lifeless—and when he reached a certain point, it vanished, as if there were something stopping him from following it any further. "Jacqueline." He reached out and gripped the sprite's arm. "Jacqueline, I don't feel her at _all,"_ he said, his voice growing more panicked.

"Good grief, that's probably a bad sign." She sighed and set a hand over Bernard's on her arm. "You have any idea the kind of nap I'm gonna need when all of this is over? Legendary, I tell you what." They disappeared a moment later with much more ease than they'd had the last three times.

When they reappeared, they found themselves in what Bernard immediately knew was the right building. "Great job," he said, lightly winded. "Come on, we need the fourth floor."

"How do you know she's on the fourth floor? I thought you said you didn't remember anything about this place."

"Just come on!" He dragged her in the direction of the elevator, not having any patience for small talk. His head was spinning and he felt dizzy. Was that him, or Elle? He wasn't sure, doubly confused because her connection was just… _gone._ That hadn't happened since she'd vanished the first time, and he felt very unsettled by the timing.

They shuffled quickly into the elevator, waiting as they went up a few floors. The quiet mechanical hum felt oddly static in his ears, and he became aware of the sound of dripping coming from Jacqueline's dress. Apparently, their travels had gotten her gown a little soggy.

"You ready for this?" asked Jacqueline, sounding a little nervous herself. "Because, to be honest, I'm not sure I am."

He looked over at her, realizing something despite his headache. "You've never known Elle any other way than how she's been here, have you?"

She shrugged, but it was clearly true. "It's just a little _odd_ to me that there's a whole other side to her that I've never met."

"She's still _Elle,_ Jacquie. Just coming from a different background, a different story."

Jacqueline gave a soft snort. "Yeah, one where she never knew me."

"It was worse in a lot of ways, but yes. That's definitely one of them."

She couldn't help but smile at that, but her mood remained serious. "If it was so bad, then why do you want to go back so much?"

"Besides the fact that it's the right thing to do?" Bernard sighed. "Because a lot of things there were _better_ , too."

The elevator arrived on the fourth floor with a soft _ding,_ the doors sliding open quietly. They stepped out, Bernard's feet instinctively turning towards the very last door down the hall, besides the last labelled _exit_ that he was nearly certain led to the roof. It was the only door in the hallway that had a number on it, and light was shining out from under it. They both hesitated outside a moment before Bernard knocked.

There was no reply.

"Elle?" Jacqueline called hesitantly, setting a hand on the door. "Are you in there?"

No reply.

"Listen, we just want to talk," She continued, raising an eyebrow at Bernard as if telling him to prove her point.

"Elle, please. Let us help you—let _me_ help you." It was driving him crazy, not knowing if she remembered or not. Not knowing if she wasn't talking to him because she was still upset, or maybe even because Jack had done what he had for a reason. Maybe Elle really _had_ wanted to get away from him _that_ badly.

Maybe that was why he couldn't feel her mentally. She'd cut herself off.

"Something is wrong here," Jacqueline whispered to him, and he gave out of his thoughts with a sigh. He tried jiggling the knob, only to find it locked. "Elle, we're coming in!" she called, before elbowing the elf out of the way and placing a hand on the knob. Frost immediately crawled over the metal, breaking the inner workings of the mechanisms and freezing it brittle.

"On three?" he said, bracing his shoulder against the door.

"Nah, waste of time." Jacqueline hiked up her skirt in a flash and gave the door a hard kick, the knob and lock shattering and flying every which way as the door swung inwards. They surged inside, unsure of what they'd find.

The only light on in the flat was in the kitchen, and the rest of the place would have been dark if not for the light shining from the corner of the room dedicated to Elle's artwork. The curtain had been pulled back, and the light seemed to be coming from two circles on the floor on either side of a large pool of red that made Bernard's heart leap into his throat.

"Elle?!"

"Nononono." He hurried across the room, feeling like his knees might give out with any step. His brain seemed to be refusing to make sense of what he was seeing, simply out of shock. It couldn't end lie this. _She_ couldn't end like this.

He came to his knees in the dim light, and it was then that his mind began to puzzle the pieces together. He was knee deep in silk, not…what he'd initially feared. The relief alone forced tears to his eyes, but then he found Elle at the center of her dress and his fears returned. She was unconscious.

"Elle? Elle come on, can you hear me?" Bernard asked the same questions mentally and was met with no reply. He looked up to find Jacqueline flicking the light on, then staring back at him with concern.

"Is she breathing?"

He'd been panicking too much to check. "Yes," he said eventually, "And she has a pulse, but it's weak." He pulled her into his arms for some reason, protective instinct maybe. "Should we take her to the hospital?"

"Not sure they'd know what to do with her there." Jacqueline bent down beside them, picking up one of the glowing circles. "The dreamcatchers," she said, intrigued. "I mean, it explains why she's unconscious at any rate."

"It does?"

"Sure. If she just got all her memories back, don't you think that'd be a lot for a mind to handle? Even one like hers?"

That seemed logical. Apparently, seeing Elle 'hurt' had made his common sense go out the window, _again._ It was beginning to be a recurring theme by now, but he was too relieved to care much. "I…should have thought of that."

"Don't sweat it, Bernard. Being in love means your mind jumps to the worst scenario first. It just works like that."

"I want to get her away from those. Put them in the bag maybe?" he suggested, and Jacqueline frowned.

"You sure about that? What if they haven't finished doing their thing?"

"She explained what they do to me before, Jacquie; they're not supposed to knock you unconscious. Whatever they've done to her, it's enough as it is."

"Fair point." Carefully, Jacqueline frosted her hand before picking each device up and placing them back into their pouch. Bernard somehow managed to climb (very shakily) to his feet, carrying Elle with him and moving her to the bed. There were clear tear tracks down her cheeks, and he hated to think that they might be his fault. How much of her sadness was he responsible for? It wasn't a pleasant question.

"Give her a little while," Jacqueline suggested, setting a hand on his shoulder. "She can't have been here too long, which means she's been out for even less. Let's see if she comes around naturally before we try to shake her awake."

"Okay." He made to let go of her hand, but something caught his attention. "Wait—Jacqueline?"

"Hmm?"

"Look at her ears."

"Wha— _oh."_

Sure enough, Elle's ears were pointed in an all too elven way. The sprite found herself chuckling, giving Bernard a comforting pat on the shoulder. "That answer a couple of your questions, B-Man?"

But before he could answer, a loud gasp caught their attention.

"Elle?"

" _Get away from me!"_ She didn't just say it, her thoughts screamed it, so loudly that even Jacqueline cringed and covered her ears. She pulled back hard, tugging her hand out of Bernard's grasp and squirming away from them with terror in her eyes. It was clear that whatever she was seeing, it was someone else.

"El—Elle! It's okay, you're safe here," Bernard said aloud, before realizing that life had sprung back into their connection like a wave of electricity through a conductor coil. He tried to grab her wrists, but she just cowered away from him in fright until he reached out a different way.

' _Elle, it's me. It's B, you're here with us. You don't have to be afraid anymore.'_

Elle stopped wriggling away, staring up at the ceiling with tears pouring out of the corner of her eyes. _'He didn't…I told him…why didn't he…'_

 _'_ _Elle. Look at me, please.'_

Slowly, her gaze shifted to his face. He could see her coming back to herself, out of the memory and back to the present. He smiled softly. "It's okay. We're both here."

Her eyes went wide. "B?" she asked in a weak voice, and he couldn't help but give a relieved laugh, seeing _his_ Elle looking back at him for the first time in too long.

"So. It's been a while, huh?"

Next moment her arms were flung around his neck, a thousand apologies being whispered into his ear between uneven sobs.

"I didn't want this…Bernard I _swear_ I didn't tell him to do this, you have to believe me. I know how it looks, _god, I know how it looks,_ but please…please believe me…"

"It's alright. Elle, it's alright, I know you didn't do this. I know who did. This isn't your fault."

"He's right, we know _exactly_ who's fault this is. _Jack's._ " Jacqueline spoke up for the first time, leaning against the counter. Elle looked up at her, confusion wrinkling her forehead.

"Wait…Jacquie. Jacqueline _Frost?"_ She tensed, immediately drawing back from Bernard. "Is this some sort of trap?"

"What? No, Elle, I know what you're thinking. It's fine, Jacqueline is Jack's younger sister," he explained quickly, not missing the look of hurt on the sprite's face.

"I managed to piece that together, thanks. Am I the only one who finds that a little troubling?!"

"Elle, listen. Jack and Jacqueline are very different from each other—"

"Oh really? What, you've got snow powers too? Doesn't sound very different to me."

Bernard looked and noticed the skirt of Jacqueline's skirt had been frozen, probably to keep it from dripping all over the floor. Jacqueline shrugged, nonplussed.

"What? I was creating a puddle and I didn't think I needed to hide anymore, now that she remembers everything."

"Jacqueline is Jack's Legate, and she has winter powers similar to his—it's _complicated_ ," Bernard tried to explain, but Elle only bristled further at his words.

"I swear to _god_ the next person to use the word 'complicated' as a means of avoiding giving me answers is gonna be swallowing a mouthful of their own teeth." She got shakily yet no less angrily off the bed, pointing an accusing finger at her friend. "You. You _lied_ to me."

"I wasn't exactly the _only_ one now was I? Bernard did his share of withholding information too." Jacqueline didn't seem much bothered by Elle's frustration, if anything, she was coming off as indifferent—but maybe that had something to do with the barbs Elle had thrown in her direction about her estranged brother.

"That's different. That's over the course of a week—Jacquie, I've known you for years." Elle's voice was cracking, angry tears filling her eyes again. "You are— _were,_ my _best friend_. I trusted you more than _anybody,_ and you never told me that magic was real? Hell," she laughed, "you were quick to jump on the bandwagon of telling me I was _crazy_."

"Elle, I was sent to protect you. To look out for you, make sure you didn't get into any trouble—and yes for you, that meant making sure you didn't get anywhere _near_ magic."

"Some job you did of that. And what for? Why did I need to be _protected_? I was fine!"

"We don't know where Jack is," Bernard cut in quietly, and Elle looked confused. "He's been missing since the Incident, and Father Time thought it best to take precautions, in case he ever showed up to bother you again."

"As _if!"_ Elle laughed out loud, shaking her head. "This is what he _wanted._ Me, isolated from everything magic. With my _family,_ because apparently, that's what I needed. _He_ knew what was better for me. Everybody _always thinks they know what's better for me!"_ She shoved her hands out at Jacqueline, pushing the sprite backwards across the floor with invisible force.

"Guess that means your telepathy is still in good working order," Jacquie gritted out, beginning to look a bit frustrated herself. "You're always impossible to deal with when you're angry."

"Wow, you sound just like my parents," Elle snapped back, shoving a little harder. "Guess that's why you always got along so well with them, isn't it? Must be nice and easy for you, agreeing with them that their daughter is a _crazy person!"_

"Elle, stop it." Bernard stood up, his headache still in full swing He blacked out for a second as he rose, gripping at the wall. Elle, however, was too preoccupied to notice.

"Listen kid, this hasn't been easy for either of us. You have any idea what it's like to have to try and look out for someone who's intent on running _directly into danger_? It's no picnic!"

"Well I never asked you to look out for me!"

"What else was I supposed to do?!"

" _Be my friend!"_ Elle gave one last shove and dropped her hands, starting to cry again. She swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. "All you had to do was be my friend, Jacqueline. But I'm sure even that was a chore for you, wasn't it? Just like it was for Jack."

Jacqueline stood in stunned silence, not quite knowing how to reply to that.

"You know what? Just go. You did your job, and now you can be done with me too." Elle waved her hand, refusing to look her in the eye anymore.

"I'll bet there's no point in trying to convince you otherwise, is there?" Jacqueline scoffed quietly. "Once Elle makes up her mind about something, _nobody_ is changing her opinion."

"Glad to know you have me down to a science."

Jacqueline rolled her eyes. "You know what? Fine. If that's what you want, I'll go. I'm dead tired of this drama anyway." She looked over at Bernard, who wasn't exactly looking one hundred percent. "Good luck with this one, Bernard. I get the feeling you'll need it." She swatted her dress a few times before fixing Elle with a final unreadable stare and disappearing.

"Ugh! She's so…I _hate…_ " Elle stomped her foot angrily, dissolving into tears for a moment before forcing herself to stop. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Good riddance, I'll bet." She looked over at Bernard, a little surprised he hadn't intervened until she saw he was too pale and drawn, leaning against the wall like he needed the support. "Bernard?"

"Elle, I don't think—" He tried to take a step but ended up sliding back down the wall with a groan.

"Whoa, what's going on, what's happened to you?" She came and braced his arms, looking at him worriedly and setting a hand to his forehead. "You're clammy, are you sick? Maybe you should sit down."

He gave a little, winded laugh. "Guess you could say I haven't exactly been myself lately." For the first time with clarity, Elle noticed his ears were rounded.

"No. No that can't be. How could this happen?"

"It's…time stuff, I think. Difficult to explain. We need to—" He stopped talking, screwing his eyes shut against the pain in his head.

"Bernard?!"

He tried to speak up, but his mouth was dry and pasty and instead of coming into focus, the room swirled and went black instead.

" _Bernard_!"

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	27. Chapter 27

_27._

" _Bernard!_ "

"Elle!"

When he woke, it wasn't where he'd thought he'd be. The details of where he'd passed out were a little fuzzy, but he'd felt sure he'd be in the Workshop—at least, that's where he felt a pressing urge that he was needed. But no sooner had he sat up abruptly that a gentle hand was on his shoulder, pushing him down again. He didn't have the strength to protest.

' _It's okay. I'm right here._ ' He opened his eyes again and slowly gained focus to find a very concerned face looking back at him.

"What happened?"

Elle shook her head. "It's not important. Right now, I need to know what's going on with you. You're not well, Bernard. You're paler that you should be, you're blacking out, and your ears are—well, for lack of a gentler term, human." When he didn't answer, she sighed softly, propping the rest of the pillows up behind him. Once he was vertical, she tucked a mug into his hands. The idea of cocoa seemed sickeningly sweet—a sure sign something was wrong, among the things Elle had listed. Luckily, the cup seemed to be filled with plain mint tea instead.

"B, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. I know you're not feeling good, but you don't have to _say_ it out loud if you don't have the energy. It's just…you're kind of scaring me, and I don't know who else to call now that…" She trailed off, but it didn't take much for him to be able to finish the sentence. She didn't know what to do now that Jacqueline was gone.

"I'm sorry." The words came out a bit scratchy, but a few sips of the warm drink seemed to help. "How long was I out for?"

"I don't know, twenty minutes? Half an hour? I was panicking, a little."

He set a hand on her knee, and a moment later her hand took his. "I didn't mean to scare you. To be completely honest I don't know what's going on much myself, other than the obvious."

"You're becoming human again."

A nod.

"Didn't you ever take a break to go and see Dr. Hismus? Surely he'd know _something—"_

"Don't you remember how little he knows about human to elf transformation? You were his patient too once."

"True. I just…" Elle made a worried noise. "I don't like the idea of you not taking care of yourself."

He couldn't help but smile at that. "It's sweet to see you so concerned about me, but I'm fine."

"Yeah, I wouldn't call passing out on my floor _fine_ ," Elle replied staunchly. Then she softened again. "Sorry, it's just…when my dad got sick—back then, you know, in the other place—he refused to admit anything was wrong with him until it was too late and I just don't want anything to happen to you know that we've—now that I've _finally…"_ She trailed off, looking down. "It's stupid of me."

"No it's not. That's a completely rational fear based on what you've experienced." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "However, I can promise you I'm not going anywhere. Not without you, anyway."

That seemed to calm her quite a bit. Still, she seemed a bit weepy. "I'm sorry I blew up and made you pass out," she apologized meekly, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure the two aren't connected, but I forgive you. Not that I'm the one who really needs the apology, but…"

Elle pulled a face, but it was clear that she had mixed feelings about her attitude towards Jacqueline. "I don't want to think about it right now. I'm still too angry." She hesitated. "Is it wrong for me to still be angry?"

Bernard shook his head, regretting it after experiencing the odd sense of vertigo it gave him. "No, being angry is natural after what Jack did. I mean, _I'm_ angry at him, for interfering and putting us all through this hell."

"I can't really say either of us are slow to anger, though."

He raised an eyebrow. "You calling me hot tempered?"

"Hot? Yes." That made him smile and duck his head a little. "Hot tempered? Well. I think we'd have a case of a pot calling a kettle in that case."

"I missed you, you know." Bernard seemed all too serious when he met her gaze again. "I mean, _you_ , the _real_ you. Despite how nice it's been to get to know you under less painful circumstances, I've missed the Elle I know."

"Do you know me, B?" Elle asked, with a shy smile. She seemed earnest though. "After what we've been through, do you really think you know who I am, what kind of a person I am? Because," she said with a tiny laugh, "I'm not sure _I_ do, anymore."

"I think we're both having a little bit of an identity crisis." He moved over slightly, Elle frowning in confusion until he patted the bed beside him. She moved and sat beside him, unsure of what to do until he set his arm around her shoulders. She promptly melted against his side, head resting on his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile at the gesture.

"What happened to us, Bernard? Things haven't been _normal_ since we've known each other, but this is out of control."

"We know when it all took a turn for the worse—and no, it _wasn't_ when we first kissed," he chided, having heard that thought from her direction. She looked up at him guiltily. "Feelings always complicate things, but in this case it wasn't what really sent things down a bad path. We would have sorted things out eventually, if Frost hadn't intervened."

A scoff. "Yeah, both of them."

" _Elle."_

"Sorry. Like I said, angry."

"I know, I can feel it, and I am too. But we need to focus on how we can make this right—not on what's behind us."

"I don't understand what there is to fix," Elle admitted. "I don't even know where to start. My parents hate me, my sisters don't want anything to do with me. Hell, I shouldn't even _be_ here—none of us should. And now on top of that, you're somehow human? How did that happen? When did it _start?_ "

"According to Santa, it's been happening gradually all year. I just didn't notice it myself."

"Geez it's weird to hear you say that. _According to Santa._ Feels like an eternity since I've heard something so outlandish said that matter-of-factly."

"Well, depending on how you look at it, it's been a lifetime since you have."

"This has got me feeling all shades of existential."

"For once, I actually agree with you."

"You said something about _time_ is doing this to you? How?"

"Jack using the Watch created all kinds of problems with the timelines," Bernard explained, noting her slight jump of surprise. "You weren't far off the mark with your Mandela effect theory. In essence, Jack created a new timeline for you—but from what I understand, he didn't do a very good job of it? Which meant he ended up merging the old timeline with the new one he made. Very messy business."

"So there really are crossed timelines."

"In a sense, yeah. I think Father Time would argue about the linear progression of time, but I've got too much of a headache to get into that."

Elle sat up, concerned. "You need some pain meds? That's one thing I've got enough of around here. Headaches are a pretty frequent visitor for me."

"Honestly? Yeah."

With a nod, Elle scooted off the bed. She came back with a bottle in hand, reading the side. "It's just ibuprofen, shouldn't make you drowsy or anything…" She looked up to find him watching her with an expression she didn't quite understand. "What's the matter? Something on my face?"

He smiled softly, looking rather tired as he leaned against the pillow. "Nothing's _wrong,_ you just…I don't know. I've always thought you look cute when you're focused."

"Wow, didn't take you for a flatterer."

"The dress is a lovely touch, too. I like the way it's…" He made a sort of loose gesture with his hands. "Flowy, but also clingy? Nice."

Elle turned pink around the edges, scowling but not really meaning it. "You really _must_ not be feeling well," she said, popping the bottle open.

"Elle." Her eyes went back to his to find him looking at her both seriously and reproachfully, though in a gentle way. "We only just made it to a place where you don't doubt my sincerity. Please don't make me go through earning your trust all over again. I understand if I have to, but…"

"Okay." She sat down beside him, folding a few pills into his hand as she offered him a meek smile. "So we'll keep some things from this place. I get it."

He took the pills, and she eventually sat down beside him again before fidgeting and laying down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. "I can't believe it."

"Believe what?"

"That I was _right,_ first of all. But that…" She started chuckling.

"What."

"Is it our fault?" She turned her head and looked up at him, laughter in her eyes. "All these conspiracy theories—the damn _Mandela effect—_ is that all just a result of our relationship getting _complicated?_ "

He blinked. "I mean, I wouldn't say it's our _fault,_ because I'm pretty sure we aren't the first or last to meddle with time but…in some ways, sure."

Elle broke down into laughter, hiding her face against his leg. "Bernard this is _crazy!_ It's crazy. _"_

"Tell me about it." He couldn't help but chuckle at her mixed relief and bewilderment, stroking her hair as she calmed down. "Say, is that clock in the kitchen functional?"

"Last I checked, yeah. Why?"

"Because it hasn't moved in the last twenty minutes."

Elle sat upright, staring at the far wall and the clock there. She rolled over and dug into her bag, sitting beside the bed before pulling her phone out. She swore sharply. "You're right."

"I thought your remembering would set things straight again," he said, sitting up straight with a groan. "Guess I was wrong about that."

"What do we do now?"

"Head back to the Pole. Father Time is still there, he'll know what to do."

"You're in no state to be travelling," Elle pointed out, looking him up and down and biting her lip worriedly.

"I can't teleport anyway, I'm as good as human."

"You look like it too."

"But _you_ can."

Elle looked nervous, turning her phone over and over in her hands. "B, I've only ever used my abilities over short distances—it's why I _flew_ to Maine. The Pole, that's _thousands_ of _miles…_ "

"I know. I know it's more than you're used to. But you've got me, and _you are_ an elf now, so…"

"Wait, what?" Elle's hands flew to her ears and the color drained out of her face. "Oh. Oh boy. I wasn't counting on that."

"It makes sense. You had to remember to really believe, after all. But there's also your contract that's still affecting you."

"That thing made the cross over here?"

"Yes, and it's still legally binding. You still are, for all intents and purposes, number two elf of Santa's workshop at the North Pole. It's why the anomalies have been happening—why you've been having dreams. You're still tied there, to your duties. It's why I _know_ that you can get us both back safely." He set his hand on hers. "I need you to, Elle. We all do."

She watched him closely, as if checking to be sure he wasn't lying. "Okay," she agreed at last with a sigh. "But if you're wrong?"

"I don't exactly have a habit of being wrong, but if I am, then I guess it'll be the last thing either of us do. Still, we've got to at least _try."_

"I suppose taking a risk is the least I can do, considering the trouble I've caused." The words were muttered, more to herself than to him. She was still fidgeting nervously, rising off the bed and looking around the room as if searching for something.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," he began, but Elle immediately scoffed and waved him off.

"Please, I already know what you're going to say. But trust me, kicking my own ass is one of the few things I'm _actually_ good at. Leave me to my own devices in that regard."

"I'm not going to do that."

Elle made a frustrated noise. "Yeah, and isn't that what got us into this situation in the first place?"

"Why do you feel like you have to hate yourself so much? I don't understand it. There are so many people who care about you— _I_ care, about you—"

"Maybe it's just because I have a real way of having the people who care about me forget me entirely or hate me by the time it's over." She grew very quiet before holding out her hand. "Come on, Bernard. We have less than no time to waste."

* * *

She didn't even ask for directions. It seemed that holding his hand was a connection enough to get the information she needed—he might have thought that she'd found it through their mental connection, if he hadn't felt her presence recoiling away from him any time he reached out. He was too tired to argue with her the way he felt he needed to, feeling like torn up wrapping paper on Christmas morning. He was _tired, so tired…_ it felt wrong. It felt like he might just disappear when they teleported, scattering into weary atoms somewhere along the path.

But her grip was still firm on his hand when his feet touched solid ground. His knees almost gave out again and he inwardly cursed his inaptitude.

"Don't do that." Elle's voice came as a surprise, gentle and reproachful. "This isn't just a matter of pulling yourself together. It isn't your fault you don't feel well."

"I didn't think you were listening," Bernard admitted ruefully, blinking static stars from behind his eyes. He was dizzier than usual.

"I'm always listening for you." She tilted her head a little. "Sometimes I just have a hard time believing what you say." She looked around them. "I thought you said there was a storm?"

"There…" He glanced around to find them outside the workshop. Elves were already working on cleaning up the square, carting away debris and opening up doors that had been barred before. " _Was_ a storm. But apparently, your remembering must have stopped it."

"For now." Bernard barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sound of the new voice. Elle however, seemed relieved.

"Father Time!"

"So you _do_ remember me." He glanced over at Bernard, who was trying to stand taller and look more well than he felt. "Perhaps Bernard's efforts haven't been for nothing after all."

"You didn't send him?" She seemed confused.

"No, I'm afraid he acted on his own." It was obvious to Bernard that the legend was still a little miffed with him, but seeing Elle's newfound enthusiasm seemed to stop him from mentioning it. "I'm just glad to see that his efforts weren't in vain."

"So am I!"

"Carol!"

"Hello again, Ellington. It's good to see your face." She hugged the girl, much to her surprise. "Lovely dress, by the way."

"Oh! Thank you?" Elle inwardly kicked herself for not changing before they'd come, but then, they hadn't had time to spare.

"And Ber—oh _no._ You don't look well at all." Carol immediately sifted her attention to Bernard, and Elle was relieved to have her opinion seconded.

"I've felt better," he admitted, swaying slightly ad then scowling at his unsteady feet.

"Let's get you both inside, okay? We'll send someone to fetch Doctor Hismus and he'll give Bernard a look over to see if there isn't anything we can do to reverse all this." Carol set a hand on both of their shoulders to guide them inside, but Father Time blocked their path with his staff.

"I'm afraid Elle needs to come with me."

Immediately, and in spite of his ill health, Bernard bristled. "She's not going anywhere without me," he countered sharply, and again, Elle looked confused.

"B, it's okay. We've got to get the rest of this time business sorted out, and you need to be looked after right now. I'll come and find you as soon as it's dealt with, and—"

"Elle!" Bernard's tone was a great deal sharper than she had expected, making her jump a little. He immediately looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. No. You don't know everything that's been happening here, I need to stay by your side and…" Before he could finish that sentence his knees went weak and he almost buckled to the paving stones. As Carol helped him right himself Elle glanced between him and Father Time, clearly concerned and worried on both counts.

"You've heard the saying 'time waits for no man'?" Father Time prompted her directly. "I'm sorry to say that it waits for no elf, either. As we speak the damage to the multiverse continues to spread. I'm afraid we haven't a moment to lose; action _must_ be taken, at once."

Elle looked back at a pale Bernard, pleadingly. "I have to do this," she told him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "For you, for…for the both of us. Please, Bernard. I can handle this."

"I just don't want you to have to do it alone." The look in his eye told her all she needed to know. He was trying to be there for her in every way that he could, but Elle knew now was the time for her to repay that favor.

"I won't be." She gave him a reassuring smile.

 _'I'm with you always, remember?'_

The look in his gaze shifted to one of resolve. "Okay," he agreed, and Elle let go of his hand. "But wait, there's something you're probably going to need."

"Oh?"

He reached with fumbling hands into his coat pocket and passed her something round and cold, that slipped neatly into the palm of her hand. An uncanny feeling of déjà vu passed over her with a shudder. "You can do this, Elle. I know you can."

She nodded, watching as Carol assisted by several of the nurses led him inside. She clutched the object tightly until he was beyond her sight, then looked down at her hand.

It was the Watch.

The sound of Father Time clearing his throat drew her back to the task at hand. "Are you ready to fix this?" he asked her, and Elle sighed and squared her shoulders.

"As I'll ever be. Where do we start?"

"Right there." He pointed to the Watch. "Where all of this began."

* * *

It took a few minutes for Father Time to lead Elle inside and to the correct place. "This used to be my room," Elle realized, looking up at the door.

"Indeed. It will help for us to be in the same place that the anomalous event occurred."

"You mean the Incident?"

"Is _that_ what their calling it nowadays? Not terribly creative, is it." He shook his head before heading into the room. Elle quickly followed, thoughtlessly closing the door behind them.

"Now, down to business. Hold out the Watch for me, will you?"

Reluctantly, Elle obliged. "How is the Watch going to help us? Bernard said before that it was all but useless now."

"It might have been, before Bernard repaired it. I must say, the task was nearly impossible considering the condition it was in but once again, Bernard found a way."

"He's clever like that," she mused, and Father Time hummed in agreement.

"With excellent craftsmanship, as well. It may not be able to function to the extent it once did—for all intents and purposes, it is merely a timepiece now. But there is still one purpose I believe it can serve." Father Time stretched out a hand and set a finger to the watch, causing the cover to pop open. "You see, I can't undo this timeline, not until I speak with the person who made it."

"Jack," Elle replied, the note of disdain in her voice not exactly well hidden.

"Precisely. But! Now we have nearly all the components from the situation that _created_ it. You, and the Watch." He touched the glass face of the watch and an orange light passed from his finger into the device. "The Watch knows this universe is incorrect, your memories, your _being here,_ at the Pole, is a paradox. They shouldn't exist, and this shouldn't be happening. The Watch knows this isn't how things should be. It _wants_ to fix what it broke. All it needs is a little magic to kick-start its abilities and…" The hands of the Watch began spinning wildly in all directions before a chime went off and all hands pointed in one direction, where a light cloud of snowflakes was beginning to form.

"It will draw back the only other thing we need to fix the timeline," Elle finished, her stomach churning with mixed fear, anger and regret.

"Excelsior," Father Time agreed with a nod, as a very bewildered and long estranged Legendary Figure appeared before them.

"Oh?" He looked around the room in confusion, what looked to be some sort of mixed drink in his hand before his eyes landed on both Father Time and Elle and his expression shifted to disappointment. "Oh. I see."

" _Jack Frost."_ Elle quickly shoved the Watch into Father Time's hands, a scowl taking over her face as Jack forced an awkward attempt as a casual, carefree air.

"Ellington! Long _time_ no see," he said pointedly, glancing at Father Time with a slight bit of anxiety. "Didn't expect to be seeing you again this soon. Or, you know. Ever."

"This is all your _fault!"_ Elle threw her hands out in Jack's direction, pushing him backward with that same invisible force she'd used on Jacqueline earlier in the evening. It was remarkable to note that she didn't seem to be fatigued from using her powers so much in such a short window of time. Apparently, anger was a powerful motivator.

Jack lost his glass, it vanishing somewhere as he threw his hands down and back to steady himself against her blast. "Or that you would _remember me,"_ he muttered to himself, but Elle heard all the same.

"I remember _everything,_ Jack!" Elle was grabbing any throwable object in the room, hurling them with force in his direction with uncanny accuracy considering the only muscle she was using was her mind. He was dodging them with surprising spryness for someone of his apparent age, but he still got nicked a few times. Several vases and a radio got hurled at his head before she kept talking. "How things were _supposed_ to be, what you did to change it all. All of this, it's a lie _you_ created!" She shoved her hands forward a little harder, Jack's feet slipping a few paces backward as a few unusually sharp coat hangers were flung his way, tearing his suit jacket and pants in several places.

"A little help here?!" Jack called out through gritted teeth to Father Time, who only shrugged and leaned harder on his staff.

"Why should I help the man who not only pickpocketed me, but also violated the Legendary Figures Code of Conduct several times over?" There was a slightly contemptuous gleam in his gaze.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ you'd sit this out." He turned his attention back to Elle, finding a slight bit of panic pass over her face before she steeled herself again and pushed back harder. Was she _afraid_ of him? They had been friends before—or at least, he'd been her mentor. He moved his hands forward and created an icy shield, just in case she decided to fling anything else his way. "You already know why I made this place, Ellington. It was a _gift!_ Don't you remember that?"

"I remember telling you no," Elle said, her voice cracking as tears stung at her eyes for the umpteenth time that night. "I remember saying that I wanted to _try,_ with moving on, with Bernard. And then I remember you telling me that you knew better, and that I would thank you for what you were doing."

"It seemed like the poetic way of putting it at the time," Jack admitted with a slight shrug, and instantly regretted it as Elle's glare flared hot with temper.

" _Does it look like I'm thanking you now?!"_ She yelled, throwing her hands forward. She drew one hand back and punched at the air, causing Jack's barrier to shatter into shards as he was tossed back, hitting the far wall with a heavy thud and a groan. The effect of Elle's blow had been like a punch to the gut—if he hadn't also been feeling it throughout his entire body, that is. A painting fell off the wall and landed beside him, making him flinch a few inches to the left.

"Not exactly, no." He slumped against the wall, expression hardening as he steeled himself. "But then, I never really expected a thank you, so no loss there." He swiped at a sting on his cheek with the back of his hand and came away with blood. "Who taught you how to do that, anyway? That punch thing? I didn't teach you offensive stuff."

"No _loss?"_ Elle scoffed, not really caring much about his last question, but before she could continue her rant Jack made an annoyed sound and waved her quiet.

"No, okay, there _wouldn't_ have been any loss if you'd just done your one job in this and _forgot."_ He shook his head as if disappointed. "Honestly Ellington, so bright and yet you couldn't just adapt to the situation."

"I _was_ adapting! Before you did this!"

"Were you? Were you _really?_ Because if _I_ remember correctly, oh that's right, nobody could go five minutes without you showing up with your angst and heartbreak."

"I had a _lot_ to heal from."

"No, you weren't healing. You were _wallowing."_

"Wallowing in what? Self-pity? Egoism? A god complex? Oh no, that's _you,_ isn't it? Acting like you had the right to make decisions of this size on my behalf."

"I was looking out for you!"

"You were my _mentor Jack not mY PARENT!"_ Elle's scream bounced off the walls of the room, Father Time's eyebrows raising a fraction. Jack looked stunned for the first time. Elle took several deep breaths before continuing in a low, dangerous tone. "I _lost_ my parents. You were supposed to teach me how to handle this" she tapped the side of her head "and instead, you decided to take my problems into your own hands."

Jack seemed to be grasping for straws at this point. "At least I did a decent job of the first part?"

She gave a tiny scoff. "I learned how to use my powers without your help in this reality."

"So where _did_ you learned to punch like that?"

"Maine, where I had someone better to teach me—who, thankfully, didn't double cross me. I wouldn't pat yourself on the back if I were you."

That seemed to sober Jack up entirely, the final traces of his sarcasm receding. "It really _was_ supposed to be an improvement you know," he said, sighing and looking around at the room that has once belonged to Elle. "This place, this _life._ I was trying to give you everything you ever wanted."

"You never _asked_ me what I wanted, Jack. Are you sure you weren't trying to give me what _you_ wanted instead?" Elle lowered her hands, eventually crossing them over her chest. "Before you used the Watch, you told me about your family. About how you would do anything for a second chance with them."

"I did, didn't I?" He took a seat on one of the ottomans, glancing over at Father Time as if embarrassed he'd heard that fact.

"Did you at least follow through on that wish in this timeline?"

Jack looked down at his hands, dry ice floating off his fingers. "No, I didn't."

Elle looked surprised. "Really?"

"That surprises you? Do I look like I've changed much from the last time you saw me?"

"I wouldn't know. I haven't seen you with your family, or even just you when you're on good terms with them. I can't say I have an educated eye in that regard."

Jack merely looked down. "Yeah, well. Guess I chickened out on that reconnecting with the family idea this time around too."

Elle looked to Father Time as if for some sort of clue why, but the other present Legend seemed to be engrossed in checking over the Watch instead. She sighed, eventually smoothing her dress down and taking a seat in the armchair most directly opposite Jack. "Alright, Frost. Spill."

"What?"

"You heard me. I want the full story. What happened between you and your family? Why don't you talk anymore…" She trailed off, then frowned. "For that matter, why did Jacqueline seem almost _afraid_ when I mentioned you?"

Jack perked up notably at that. "Jacqueline? You _met_ Jacqueline? When? How?"

"Slow your roll," Elle warned, holding up a hand. "She's my—" She hesitated, a mixed feeling of frustration and sadness creeping over her. "She _was_ my best friend, since childhood until about two hours ago."

"We sent her to watch over Ellington, to make sure she stayed out of trouble—and that _you_ stayed away," Father Time added nonchalantly. Jack seemed a bit grim at that.

"Not a bad tactic."

"Why would Jacqueline keep him away?" she asked, confused.

"Shame and guilt are excellent deterrents."

"My sister and I have a…convoluted past," Jack explained carefully, and Father Time seemed chagrined.

"That's putting it delicately."

"Well how brutally would you like it, hmm? Should I just _say_ that I almost killed my own sister in cold blood?"

Elle drew back in her chair. "Excuse me?!"

Jack sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

"How many icicles to the stomach did she take again? Two?"

"Three." The wintry legend sounded not bitter, but thoroughly ashamed and even quiet, which was the _real_ shocker.

"Three?" Elle repeated, sounding small and worried for the first time during their 'discussion'. Jack nodded. "When did this happen?"

"A very long time ago, by your standards. Jacqueline was just a child in comparison, though sometimes it feels like it was only yesterday that I…" He trailed off with a grimace.

" _Jack."_

"That I abandoned, and hurt, my family in the vain effort to 'take back' a holiday that never belonged to me."

"That's when it began," she said, staring at Jack's pale face with realization. "When you started planning to usurp Santa, which eventually led—"

"To me de-coating Scott and stealing the role of Santa Claus from him." Jack nodded again. "Which admittedly, didn't go according to plan."

"How?"

"He got caught," Father Time cut in blandly, "just as he has yet again. Says something about the quality of his work when it comes to matters of _time._ Perhaps he should learn to leave such things to the _professionals."_

"Ha ha," Jack said snidely, "that wasn't what I meant, old timey wimey." Father Time made a low, dissatisfied sound at the nickname. "What I meant was that it didn't satisfy me, because it wasn't what I really wanted. I didn't want fame as much as I thought I did, I just wanted my _family_ back. Which is why when you lost your family, Elle, I…" He trailed off.

"Go on."

"I decided to make it my personal mission to make sure you didn't have to suffer the regret of losing the people you care most about—even if, in your case, the reason for that loss was a sacrifice." Jack laced his fingers together, staring at his palms. "And to that end I justified whatever means necessary to save you from the mistake I made—that I _keep_ making."

"I didn't lose my family because I was selfish."

"Of course not. But my perspective rationalized my actions at the time. I wanted your family to be happy, for you to be with them."

"Like you wish you could be with your family, if you were braver."

Another nod.

Elle sighed. "Well, I hate to tell you this Jack, but even that was a bust. My family isn't happy here. Sure, maybe they're well off as far as money goes, but we're all miserable—me especially. I don't get along with my parents at all and I'm pretty sure my sisters think I'm a freak." She let out a sad sort of laugh. "I guess that means the easy part this time will be letting them go."

"Kid, I'm sorry." She shifted her attention up from the floor to find Jack watching her earnestly. The drop of blood that had been trickling down his cheek from a bit of broken glass seemed to have frozen, but he still looked very ruffled and unhappy. After the roughing up she'd give him, it didn't seem surprising. "I really thought I was going to help you by giving you a new start, but it seems like I've just made things more complicated for you."

"It seems like you have," Elle agreed calmly, almost too calmly. She didn't say anything more, uncertain of how to bridge the gap of uncomfortable silence when she wasn't fully ready to forgive him for what he'd done. "And we haven't even discussed what your actions have done to Bernard. But I don't think I will."

"Oh?" Jack seemed surprised, maybe even a little bit hopeful.

"No. Because if I do, I don't think I'm going to be able to remain anywhere near civil."

The sprite raised an eyebrow. "You call throwing half the furniture in this room at my head 'civil'?"

" _Jack,"_ Father Time warned, but Elle only smiled thinly.

"Then I guess you wouldn't like to see me _uncivil_ now would you."

"Is that a threat? Verbal threat! I feel threatened."

"Enough." With a slight groan Father Time pulled himself up from his seat on the sofa, turning the Watch over thoughtfully in his hand. "Ellington if you've quite finished taking your temper out on him—"

"Um, he _deserved_ it?"

"Undoubtedly, but we really haven't more time to waste on his backstory."

Elle stared at Jack a long moment. She didn't feel _nearly_ done with him, with a million more questions and insults and _so_ much rage swirling around in her head that she could hardly think. But finally, she nodded. "Alright, fine. I'm done."

"Good." Father Time stretched his back a moment before heading out of the room with the Watch still in hand. "Wait here a moment, I'll return shortly. Frost," he warned, " _don't go anywhere."_

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jack replied with an uneasy smile that left as quickly as it came. When they were alone in the room, he turned his attention back to Elle. "So. What ah, what do you think you'll do once we get back to the original timeline?"

It was an unbelievable question for him of all people to be asking, but Elle was caught so off-guard by the thought that she didn't get angry. "I have no idea," she admitted quietly, fidgeting with the tulle of her dress.

"You and Bernard make any plans?"

"I'm not sure."

"Hmm." He observed her keenly. "Elle, do you still love him?"

With a scoff, Elle rolled her eyes. "Jack, it's more than a little late for you to try and pretend you care."

"I know. I just hope that I didn't ruin what you two had."

She shrugged. "I wouldn't worry too much. I'm perfectly capable of ruining things between him and me on my own."

There was a long pregnant pause, and then Jack began to chuckle.

"What, that's funny to you?"

"Elle." Jack's expression was humorous and weary at the same time. "For the love of all things frozen, just stop with the self-loathing and _go with the flow_ instead of against it."

"How do you mean?"

"Hasn't he done enough to prove he's smitten, that there isn't a thing he wouldn't sacrifice for your sake?"

"How would you know?"

"Simple deduction, really. How else would you be here with all your memories restored? Someone was patient with you." A long-suffering sigh. "Look, I may not be Bernard's biggest fan-frostbite, I can probably count the number of times we've agreed on something on both hands—but really."

"Really _what, Jack."_

 _"_ Just let the poor elf _love you._ "

"Seems like you and Jacqueline have a similar knack for giving advice, don't you?"

"I wouldn't know. But if she's _anything_ like me then" he let out a small laugh "yeah. I'll bet."

It was Elle's turn to go quiet. Jack had a point, but she wasn't sure it was that simple—that it was _ever_ going to be that simple. "We'll just have to see how things go I guess."

"That's what I said, about my family. And look where I am now." Jack set his hands on his knees. "Passively waiting isn't going to fix things. You've got to make a decision this time, one that I now realize, only you can make."

"And that is?"

"What do _you_ want, Elle Connelly?"

It was a thought Elle had been avoiding ever since she'd woken up with her memories. What _did_ she want, if she put everyone else's opinions, and advice, and her own insecurities aside? She had a choice now, to decide where to go with her life and it was a lot to think about. She had a feeling it was something she'd need to dwell on long enough to make a wise choice.

But before she could turn to deeper introspection, a heavy shake and shudder ran through the building, causing the shattered glass on the ground to rattle against the floorboards. Jack looked up at ceiling, speaking in a low tone.

"Well that can't be good."

"Bad news." Father Time came sweeping back into the room, sidestepping around some of the items Elle had tossed aside in her rage fit. "In reactivating the Watch the storm has been summoned back."

"So what do we do?" Elle asked, rising to her feet. She felt a surreal sense of empowerment seize her, as though she weren't fully understanding the gravity of the situation but she was ready to act regardless. Perhaps it was simply an adrenaline boost? Who knew. Jack was quick to rise as well, while in the workshop beyond the alarms were sounding at full blare.

"We need to close the breach, _now._ "

"How?"

Father Time beckoned them forward. "Each of you, set a hand on the Watch. I'll do the rest."

"But what will happen? To the timeline, to this place?"

"Elle, we don't have time for explanations," Jack warned at the same time something hit the roof.

"It will be as though it never existed," Father Time encouraged, gesturing for her to set her hand on his. Reluctantly, she obliged.

"What about Bernard?" she asked him privately as Jack set his hand on the pile last. "What about everything that's happened? How do we know everything will go back to the way it should be, and we won't end up somewhere worse?" A faint golden glow began pouring out from the device. Father Time looked concerned, but shook his head. She could hardly hear his voice above the din.

"You're just going to have to believe, Elle. Can you do that?"

She sighed, closing her eyes as the light grew too bright. "The one thing I'm good at, it seems."

 _'Elle, are you okay?!'_ The thought came through so loud and clear that Elle almost thought Bernard was in the room himself.

' _Not really, but don't worry. This will all be over soon,'_ she comforted, her free hand clenching into a fist.

 _'What does that mean?! Don't tell me he talked you into something drastic.'_

 _'There isn't time for anything else.'_

 _'We can talk about this! Elle, please—'_

 _'See you on the other side, B.'_ The last thing she felt was a strong, painful jolt as of being whisked sideways, and then she went unconscious.

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	28. Chapter 28

_28._

When Elle opened her eyes again, she found herself in a very bright white place. She was standing on something, but couldn't tell what, her dress a deep red contrast to the starkness of her surroundings. The aura of the place made her thin of the scene from the _Harry Potter_ series when Harry dies fighting Voldemort and runs into Dumbledore in the afterlife, and she wondered if there had been some sort of mishap with the Watch that had sent her into the great beyond rather than back to her own universe and timeline.

But then she heard a groan and then another, from behind her. She turned and found Jack in a heap on the floor, Father Time leaning heavily on his staff and panting as though winded.

"What in the name of winter just happened?"

"Are we dead?" Elle demanded immediately, and Jack lifted his eyebrows.

"Well don't hold back, Elle," he muttered, and Elle scowled down at him, hands going to her hips.

"Look, I just promised Bernard I'd see him on the other side? And I didn't mean the other side of life and death, so yeah, I'm a little worried. Pardon me for speaking my mind." She glared a moment longer before huffing and rolling her eyes, then offering the sprite a hand. "Come on, get up. There's no use in you staying down there."

"It's more comfortable that it looks," Jack defended, before reluctantly accepting her help up.

"To answer your question, no. We're not dead," Father Time said, glancing down at the Watch in his hand, which had since stopped glowing. "We seem to have made a sort of unscheduled pit stop."

"Why?" Elle asked as Jack dusted himself off, strange white mist clinging to him where he'd been in contact with the floor. Whatever the place was made of, it didn't seem to be fully corporeal—almost like it was more of the _idea_ of a space, rather than the actual existence of one. "Better yet, where? Where are we, if we're not dead?"

"You might call it limbo, but we Time Keepers call it the Timeless Realm."

Before Elle had time to cross reference this news with any sort of concepts she knew of, Jack was letting out a dramatic groan of distress.

"Not this place, good grief. Gives me the creeps even in thought, let alone in _person."_

"What's so bad about it?"

Jack looked around suspiciously. "What could possibly be _good_ about a place that exists for the sake of its own nonexistence?" So she wasn't far off with her observations, then.

" _That_ is a matter of opinion," Father Time corrected with a stern point of his finger in Jack's direction. "And one I certainly didn't ask for. To answer your question, Ellington, we're here because we were thrust out of the time vortex ahead of schedule."

"Whose fault is that, exactly? Someone wasn't steering well," Jack complained, and made a face. "Also please don't use the word _thrust._ I don't approve."

"Actually _Frost,_ it's _your_ fault." The legend of time's tone of voice proved he had little patience left for Jack's antics. "We were thrown from our course because whatever you did when you made the alternate timeline, you left the old one damaged—badly."

"How badly?" Elle asked, already biting her lip nervously. She didn't like where this was headed.

"Enough to make reconstruction of the correct timeline very messy—and to keep us from returning to our current point in time, in the correct version of it."

Elle felt the air catch in her throat, her heart hammering. "Please tell me that that doesn't mean…"

"We can't get back?" Jack finished, sounding horrified.

Clearly there was more to it than that, but Father Time seemed reluctant to say. Jack swore under his breath.

"The _last_ thing I wanted to do was get trapped in the Timeless Realm with you two."

" _Likewise!"_ she snapped back, her glare intensifying. "Keep in mind this is all your fault to begin with, Jack, before you start running your mouth!"

The sprite turned back to her from his pacing, an imperious look in his eye. "You have some nerve talking to _me_ like that."

"Why? Because you're 'the great Jack Frost'?" she retorted, making liberal use of air quotations. "Hate to break it to you, but I've known a Frost that's _miles_ above your caliber."

"So you keep reminding me. Yet it seems you've done an adequate job of chasing her off as well, haven't you?"

" _Enough!"_ Father Time raised a hand and Elle who had already drawn her hand back as if to fight Jack again, found herself holding still against her own impulses. Apparently, Father Time's authority was absolute here. "We don't have time for infighting. Right now, I need you two to join forces with me in figuring out a solution to the mess that you _both_ played a part in creating," he finished pointedly. Elle dropped her gaze to the not-floor.

"Fine." Jack crossed his arms with a huff of frosted breath, his face dropping off its blue tinge. "What is the exact nature of the problem?"

"We can't re-enter the timestream in the yard we just left. There's too much interference around that year now, if we return we run the risk of creating a massive aberration."

"And…that's bad?" Elle watched Father Time nod seriously. "Right. What about other years? Can we get back to our universe during a different year?"

That made the man think. "In theory, yes. But what we're discussing isn't simply time _travel,_ Elle."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you don't just pop in on your own to the time you're travelling to," Jack replied, piecing the situation together. Seeing Father Time's surprised expression, he shrugged. "What? I read the manual on that Watch. Or, well, you know. Skimmed it."

"What Jack is getting at is that it's not simply the matter of restoring ourselves to the correct timeline. It's also important we keep the events leading up to now intact. Meaning, we must return immediately after the chain of events that caused Jack to use the Watch in the first place."

"So what you're telling me is that we have to keep the events intact while shifting the timeline by years?"

"In not so many words, yes."

This was a lot to wrap her already aching head around. "Okay, I get the gist of it. What's the holdup then? Why don't we just pick a year?"

The legend eyed Elle with a level of discomfort that made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Whoa whoa whoa, pump the brakes. What does _that_ look mean?"

He sighed, looking down at the Watch again. "Miss Connelly, if we jump back in time, you will become a paradox unto yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"In moving you back in time, you will exist in two places at once: at the Pole, and also—"

"With my family." The words came out in a disbelieving breath, Elle's hand moving to her head in worry. "Oh god, I'm gonna be two places at once."

"And when we reach the correct year again, the other version of you will simply vanish out of her own timestream."

"Which means?"

"Either one of two things. One, your family once again forgets you ever existed, or two…" He gave her a meaningful look.

"They don't?" Her eyes went wide. "You…you mean that if we do this, there's a chance I'll see my family again?"

"Yes."

Elle's hands moved to cover her eyes as she tried not to burst into tears. Her family. She might get to see her family again, and not the fake one Jack had made for her, but the _real_ one she'd come from. "Okay," she agreed, taking a deep breath. "Okay, it's a risk I'm willing to take. How do we do it?"

Father Time cleared his throat, readjusting his robes on his shoulders. "We'll need to pick a suitable year, one preferably untouched by any previous time related incident."

I took a moment of thinking, during which Jack rattled off years from several centuries past that he was fond of, before Elle came up with a solution.

"How about 2005."

Both Father Time and Jack stopped bickering and looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"2005, you know, the year before the Escape Clause incident happened." She gave Jack a serious look. "You can get that what, third chance you want and need?"

Jack sobered up considerably. "I mean…I never thought of that."

"So will that work?"

"It's worth a try," Father Time agreed, He held the watch out again, and Elle instinctively set her hand on it, Jack following suit.

"Here goes nothing."

A few seconds passed, and Elle closed her eyes. By the time ten seconds had come and gone they hadn't moved, and she opened them again to find Father Time looking perplexed. "Okay, I didn't mean _literally_ here goes nothing. What's the matter, why isn't it working?"

"From what I understand, the Watch knows what to do, it just doesn't have anything to grab onto from the original timeline."

"You mean physically? A physical object?"

"It would seem so."

Jack immediately began searching his person, as if trying to find something that would work. "I ah, didn't exactly bring souvenirs with me when I ah…"

As if it had been summoned, Elle felt an object in her dress pocket brush against her leg. She already knew what it was, having slipped it there herself shortly before Bernard had woken up from his faint. She withdrew the familiar box and popped it open.

"Will this do?"

Both legendaries seemed taken aback "Did…did old bean-sack already pop the question, or..?" Jack trailed off in confusion, but Elle shook her head before hesitating.

"Yes? No? I don't know, this whole Clause concept is confusing. Will it work?" she repeated intently, and Father Time nodded.

"It should."

"Good. Then let's do this." She took the ring out of the box, careful of her trembling hands so that she didn't drop the band into the fog dusted floor and lose it to non-reality. She was oddly surprised when it fit her finger, even though she felt a pang of sadness because this wasn't how it should have been. Bernard should have been there, or she should have been with Bernard, and it all felt so wrong and hopeless like the end of the world—but she couldn't help but think that if it got her back to him, it was obviously worth sacrificing the aesthetic of a proposal.

She set her hand atop the Watch once more, and this time it glowed gold before Jack added his hand to the pile and everything went blindingly bright again.

* * *

She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting to find when she opened her eyes again. It wasn't to be looking up at the ceiling of her suite in the Workshop, an odd sense of calm hanging in the air. She sat upright, glancing around at the neatly decorated room and noting the presence of all of the things she'd brought from home with her the first time. It was almost like nothing had changed, but then she saw the presence of a wall calendar that she didn't remember being there before, and it was turned to…what page?

 _December 2005._

She let out a long sigh of relief, running her hands down her face. They'd done it. They'd scrambled the timeline and made it back to a safe point—even if that meant she was technically not meant to be there. It was only a matter of details, and it didn't much matter once her mind went to a more important concern.

"Bernard."

She didn't know if he was okay or not. Had the time reversal fixed the matter of his elfness? Suddenly aware that that was the only thing that she cared about sent her scrambling off the bed, feet nearly catching on the edge of the rug in her haste to the door. She was out and into the corridor in a matter of seconds, her head still reeling a bit from the trans-dimensional jumping they'd done. She snagged the first elf she saw by the elbow, only to find it was Abby.

"Abby!"

"Ms. Elle!" Abby seemed happily surprised to see her until she saw how worried she looked. "You're back! Is everything alright? You look pretty shaken up."

"Yes, I think so, I just… do you know where Bernard is?" She fidgeted with her hands, doubly anxious when she realized she couldn't feel him mentally. It was like her telepathic sense were on the fritz from the nowhere land she'd been a few minutes earlier.

Abby smiled reassuringly. "Why sure, he's in the Elfirmary with Mrs. Claus. I just took them some drinks and she mentioned that you might be by soon."

"Really? That's great." Elle let out a breath she hadn't realized she been holding, hands going to her hair "Thank god. Okay. I think I'll just pop over there really quick and..." She wasn't entirely sure why she was going to see Bernard, she just felt the compelling need to after what she'd just experienced. "Thank you, Abby."

"No problem. Let me now if there's anything else I can do for you!"

"Will do." Elle turned away as Abby moved off towards whatever part of the workshop she was headed for. Elle noted how quiet the place seemed before she teleported off to the Elfirmary.

Some things had _definitely_ changed. For starters, the Elfirmary was much smaller than she remembered, with a very low ceiling and a narrow work space. It was almost more like a closet, rather than the large, spacious chamber she was used to. But it made it rather simple to spot Mrs. Claus, sitting in a chair next to the bed. Bernard was sitting upright, looking a bit disgruntled as Hismus was combing him over with some sort of device. She paused in the doorway, her rush suddenly halted by shyness.

"You seem to be back to normal, Bernard," Hismus declared, just as both Bernard and Carol noticed Elle's arrival. "Full elf again, though I'd like to check your vitals once more just to be absolutely certain." She felt her chest tighten at the clear relief and happiness that spread over Bernard's face, a lopsided smile dawning on him.

"You're okay," he said, sounding a little breathless or maybe hoarse, Elle wasn't sure. All the same she gave a small, hesitant nod as Carol got up from her chair, beckoning the girl in.

"Come, come sit. I was just keeping an eye on him until you came back. Is everything sorted?"

"I think so. I'll have to double check with Father Time to be sure though, he wasn't with me when it was over," Elle admitted quietly, hardly able to take her eyes off of Bernard even though Hismus was still taking his pulse.

"I'm sure Scott will make sure everything's official once he gets back."

"Gets back?"

Carol gave her a humorous, side-eyed look. "Elle Connelly, did you forget it's Christmas day?"

Elle couldn't help but smile and duck her head slightly. "I suppose I did, with all the complications."

"Well, those are over and done with." She glanced between Elle and Bernard before nodding. "Everything should be just fine now, I'll leave you two alone so you can have a chance to talk. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Well," she laughed, "if you don't, Elle can manage I'm sure."

"Thank you, Mrs. Claus."

"Please, I told you it's Carol!"

A smile. "I'll try to remember that."

Once Carol left. Hismus was mumbling to himself until Elle spoke up.

"What seems to be the problem, doctor?"

Dr. Hismus made a tsk-ing noise. "Either my stethoscope is breaking again or Bernard's is developing some sort of heart murmur."

Bernard rolled his eyes.

"Oh?" Elle raised an eyebrow at Bernard as Hismus doubled down on the device.

"Yes—there it is a _gain!_ I didn't notice this earlier, why all of a sudden…"

"Is my heart skipping beats? Yeah. I wonder what would cause something like that." Bernard's tone was laced with a gentle humor that made Elle's stomach go fluttery when he looked her way, eyes twinkling with a quiet mischief. Or was it something else?

"Ah." Hismus finally put two and two together and drew back, setting the stethoscope aside. "A simple misdiagnosis, I see." He smiled and leaned back on his stool, before getting to his feet. "I do believe your time here is done, Bernard—though I'll want to follow up on your condition in a week or two."

"Certainly," Bernard agreed, which was more willing than he usually would be. But then, Elle was well aware of the fact that he seemed unable to take his gaze off of her, or the relieved smile off of his lips.

"I'm off to join the celebrations then. Will you both be participating, or..?"

"Not sure yet. Like Mrs. Claus said, Elle and I have a few things to discuss."

A nod and another happy smile. "In that case, good luck to the both of you. And shut the front door on your way out, will you?"

"Of course," Elle agreed. She moved aside so the doctor could pass by before stepping into the room properly. She looked around, as if searching for a conversation opener. "So, this place is a little tighter of a squeeze than I remember—" She began with a slight laugh, but before she could continue she found herself pulled tight into a hug, his face tucked into her hair.

"I was so worried, you just went silent in the middle of a sentence and there was just this odd white static…"

"I'm sorry." Elle slid her arms around him, tucking her face against his shoulder as she felt tears coming on. "It was so sudden and I was so scared that if I didn't act right away something worse would happen, like worse than what had _already_ happened. I didn't know what else to do."

"It's not your fault," Bernard reassured her, and she felt some of the weight leave her shoulders. "Father Time hasn't been entirely forthcoming about this whole fiasco since it became a problem—I suspect his ego got a bit wounded by Jack's pulling a fast one over on him."

"And that was another thing I had to deal with: Jack."

Bernard pulled away enough to look at her. "You had to confront Frost?" He seemed vaguely angry, his hands tightening their grip on her arms. Elle nodded, then looked hesitant.

"Look, Bernard, we can talk about this later. The details aren't what's important, I'm just…" Her voice cracked and she swallowed, hard, tears burning her eyes. "I'm just really glad to see you again—to see you're alright," she corrected. "There was a point I wasn't sure I was going to get to."

His eyes grew solemn and sad for a moment before he nodded and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead that warmed her to her toes. "Let's get out of here, alright?" he suggested, and she softly agreed. "After all we've been through, this is no place to spend our Christmas."

Elle gave a slight shudder as she looked at the bed. "I've never much liked hospitals anyway."

* * *

The next few days went by more quickly than expected.

It was a time of uncertainty and at the same time, the possibilities of a new start looming ahead. For no one did that feel more real than it did for Elle. Surprisingly, Christmas hadn't been spent sorting out her and Bernard's chaotic and semi-nonexistent love life. It had seemed that with the matter of his sudden bout of humanity set aside, the rest of the elves preferred to have them both celebrating with the rest of the Pole—celebrating not only Christmas, but also, it seemed, her return. Apparently, she had been well missed in her absence, and not just by Bernard. This did a surprisingly good number on her battered spirits, knowing that she was not only needed but also wanted and _missed._ She had once again lost a great deal and the excitement of being back had kept her thoughts away from her own sadness, until things began winding down in preparation for New Year's and Elle found herself with more free time on her hands.

It was strange, really. After all that had happened, there was just this sort of odd calm between them. She'd expected tension or some sort of desperation, and while that did occasionally come in waves, it wasn't overwhelming. They'd been in the same room with each other for the past two days, hardly an arm's reach from each other, and yet there had been no discussion, not even a _mention_ of _them._ The elves had almost said something a few times (Judy in particular seemed bewildered by their distance from one another, and at one point had given Elle a very curious look) but no one crossed the invisible line that had been set. Elle wondered who was going to break it first, and that was when Bernard came to her.

He'd showed up outside her room, hat in hand with a sweet, sad yet hopeful sort of smile that said what Elle already knew: that there was no more putting off discussions of what had happened. If she was completely honest she didn't feel much like waiting anymore either, so she'd grabbed her coat and nodded, following him wherever he led. Just being in his company felt like a special kind of mercy after how close she'd come to never seeing him again.

That's what had brought them to where they were now, strolling through an Elfsburg that was slightly different from the one was familiar with. There were a couple of shops missing that she'd been fond of, and the Elfsburg Grille seemed relatively new, or maybe just relocated. 2005 felt different, but not to the extent she'd expected. Somehow, the Pole felt safe—s _he_ felt safe. But maybe that had less to do with the surroundings and more to do with the elf holding her hand.

The streets were very quiet, and would have felt almost deserted if they weren't so warmly lit by lamps. It was as if the entirety of the Pole were aware of the gravity of the conversation at hand, and had made way for it. Elle pulled her jacket a little closer around her, suddenly reminded of another night, what felt like a lifetime ago, when they'd been in a similar state. The thought of that night made her stomach turn with regret. What if things could have been simple, if only she'd said yes back then?

"I don't think I've ever seen it this still," she said softly, looking up at the gentle snowfall with mild confusion. "I've never seen Elfsburg so peaceful, come to think of it. It's usually such a lively place."

"Well it is the week after Christmas," Bernard pointed out with a slight shrug, following her gaze upward for a moment as they crunched their way along through the snow lined streets. "Everybody has this time off, to spend with their loved ones."

That seemed to puzzle Elle for a moment, her gaze casting sideways at him before he saw her cheeks flush. "And…and you're here with me?" She asked, her voice cracking a little.

Bernard only smiled as he reached down and took her hand, keeping his eyes forward as he intertwined their fingers. "That's the idea," he replied, returning her gaze fondly. Elle seemed shocked for a moment, before realizing that she shouldn't be. Even if she was still having difficulty coming to terms with her own emotions, Bernard's had always been clear.

"I've…had a lot of time to think," Elle began, not knowing exactly how to start this kind of conversation but trying to set out on the right foot.

"Really?" Bernard seemed a little surprised, but that might have just been her mistaking his amusement.

"Mhmm." They came to a corner under a streetlamp, a block or two shy of Bernard's house if she remembered correctly. She found her mixed anxiety and excitement at the concept of going there confusing—on the one hand, the last time she'd been there had been a disaster on her part. But on the other hand, her mind kept imagining going there again and _not_ running away this time and god, it was hard to admit but thinking about her and Bernard _together_ had become her favorite pastime since she'd returned.

In some sort of unanimous wordless decision, they both took a seat on the bench below the lamppost. Snow was still lightly falling, casting soft shadows as the sky darkened, and Elle noted the four-inch gap between her and Bernard, their hands still folded together. She felt a little guilty for thinking that gap was too large for her liking, and looked down at her knees.

"I've been thinking too, a lot. I have a few things I'd like to say, if you don't mind waiting to say your piece." This came as a surprise, one that had Elle inwardly panicking in spite of herself. Was he tired of her antics? Was he giving up? Was she too late, and he'd changed his mind? All of this made no sense, as a clear sign to the contrary sat between them in the form of their still intertwined hands, but her emotions were running wild for once and even getting the better of her.

"Oh! Um, sure. That's okay." Elle crossed her ankles, then uncrossed them, then tucked one foot behind her ankle. She honestly had no idea what he was going to say, and since her telepathy had been all but out of commission since she'd stepped out of the Timeless Realm she didn't have the option to sneak a peek—which only made the situation more nerve-wracking, because he couldn't feel her stress, more she the comforting he was trying to send her way. Bernard was a very observant elf though, and he knew her tells well enough by then. He smiled softly and let out a chuckle, lifting her chin and turning her head towards him with a gentle finger.

"Relax, Elle. It's not _bad_ news, you know," he chided playfully, with a quirk of his eyebrow. Elle seemed to melt at his touch, flushing pink and squirming in her coat. She gave him a slight nod, chewing on her lip as she tried not to start talking again and say something foolish after he'd just asked her to listen.

"Okay."

He let her chin go, his hand coming to rest on top of the ones they were holding. "I know you probably have a lot to say," he began, "a lot to explain and point out and even ask, but before I spend the evening listening and explaining, there are a few things I need to tell you. From the heart." He grew awkward and laughed again. "Believe it or not this kind of stuff isn't exactly an area of expertise for me, so I'm sorry in advance if I make a bit of a mess of it." He looked embarrassed, and Elle felt her heart ache for him. She kept forgetting that for all of his years, this kind of thing was still new to him.

"I think if anyone has a track record for making things messy, it's me," Elle replied smoothly, offering him a comforting smile. They were both blushing and fumbling over themselves, which might have been funny if there hadn't been so much on the line. Bernard shook his head.

"Only because I kept doing things, telling you things without explaining how I felt. Which, when I look back on it, only made you more afraid. I regret that a lot."

Elle sighed. "Bernard, no, it wasn't like that…"

"Just hear me out." He took a deep breath and paused a long moment before starting again. "Right from the beginning I made the mistake of acting on impulse without taking into consideration how you'd react, because frankly…I don't know what to do with myself, in this kind of a situation. When it was simply the matter of expressing affection, things were simple enough. But once it turned into something _more..._ once it turned into love, I didn't know how to tell if it had done the same for you? Without just asking, which, in retrospect, probably would have been the best and most direct course of action."

If it were possible for him to be any more earnest, Elle didn't know, but she was painfully aware of how her attention kept slipping to simply admire him. She nodded, forcing herself to pay attention. She owed him that, at the _very_ least.

"What I'm trying to say is, I never just explained myself. I tried to show you and I think, under your circumstances, it did more harm than good. I'm sorry that I…well, made it weird."

"B, I _swear_ you didn't." Elle gave a little shrug, smiling bashfully. "I mean, under _normal_ circumstances, a girl likes to be pursued. It wasn't your fault. It was just bad timing."

"Which makes it my fault. I should have seen it wasn't working and tried something else."

"Well in your defense, you _did_ try to talk to me and find out what you were doing wrong."

Bernard opened his mouth, then hesitated. "Are you going to keep defending me, or are you going to let me apologize?"

"I just don't see why you need to, even as a matter of form. All you ever did was try to love me, as best you could. It's all you've been trying to do, every time we meet." She looked down at their hands, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes. There were things she wanted to tell him, but she held them back to try and keep her promise to listen. "Sorry, go ahead."

He seemed a little stunned by her words, but didn't fail to notice she was crushing under the weight of her guilt. "Hey…hey, don't cry." He pulled away to hold her face in both hands, inwardly cursing himself for upsetting her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's not your _fault!"_ Elle broke down in tears, frustration on her face. She leaned into his touch before setting her hands over his and moving them away. "This is all my fault, Bernard. I run away from good things because I'm scared they'll get taken from me, it's how I've always been. I mean, god, I used to pick fights with Jacqueline trying to get her to leave because I was scared she'd abandon me. And look, in the end, I succeeded." She sniffed, lowering her gaze. "Coming here, accepting this job, was one of the first times in a long time that I'd taken a big risk on something good and when you started acting differently around me, I thought I was just reading the situation wrong. But then it became so _obvious_ —you kissed me, you told me you _loved_ me, for goodness sake. I couldn't hide from that or from how I felt about you, so I got scared and I tried to stop you before it became something more, but…"

She bit her lip, looking up regretfully. "I lied to you, Bernard. I didn't tell you no because I was sure you could find someone better. I mean," she gave a watery laugh. "I know you _could_ , but I also knew that if I let myself return your feelings, I'd love you _so_ much to make up for anything I lacked. And I didn't say no because I wasn't ready, either. God only knows you were the main thing that kept me sane when I lost my family—you know, the first time." She screwed her eyes shut, trying not to burst into tears again. "I said no because I really _did_ want to be with you. I was just too afraid that I'd mess things up with you to actually try."

Elle kept her eyes shut, too afraid to open them to see if he was angry or shocked or upset with her. Perhaps it was simply a case of her own anxiety making the situation seem hopeless, but she felt horrifically afraid of what his reaction would be. She felt like this was the end, that this would be the last straw that made him not want to try anymore.

But then she felt him pull her close into his arms, and she fell apart into the shoulder of his coat, afraid to let go. He didn't say anything, just running a hand up and down her back and waiting patiently for her to stop crying. When she had calmed, he drew back just enough to kiss her forehead, then fixed her with a gentle smile. "Are you done?"

"You—you're not mad?" She asked, bewildered, and immediately he looked away, breaking into a grin and shaking his head.

"Elle, sweetheart, you didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. Alright?"

Elle sighed in exhaustion, hiding her face against his shoulder in embarrassment. Still, she felt relieved to know that he'd already been aware of these things long before she'd said anything. "Alright."

"Did it help to get that off your chest?"

She considered this. "Actually, I think it really did."

"Good." He sounded pleased. "Now, can I finish what I was trying to say?"

"Sorry. I really _do_ interrupt too much, don't I?"

"It's okay. You'll probably be able to hear me better if your thoughts aren't preoccupied."

"Mhmm." Elle sat back, leaving them much closer than they'd been before her meltdown. She took both of his hands in hers, looking up at him with a watery smile. "Go ahead, B. I'm listening—honestly."

"You sure? We can finish this later if you—"

"B. I promise."

"Okay then. Guess it's my turn to not hold back." He took a deep breath before launching back into his earlier train of thought. "What I was trying to get at earlier when I said I didn't ask the right questions was that if I'd simply taken the time to _ask_ you why you were afraid, things might have gone better. Instead I assumed what was wrong and kept pressing the subject, and I _feel_ like it made me come off pushy and insensitive—don't!" He held a finger to her lips as she opened her mouth to argue the point, and chuckled at her surprised expression. "I know you're always going to find a way to turn the blame back onto yourself, but this is just how I _feel_ about what's happened, factual or otherwise. Capisce?"

Elle hesitated a long moment before nodding, and he withdrew the finger.

"Now, where was I?"

"The right questions?"

"Oh, right. I know the answers now, you've just told me most of the things I needed to know back then. But if I'd thought to ask you, maybe this wouldn't have been so complicated."

"You couldn't have known how complex this would become," Elle chided gently.

"Neither could you."

"True."

"But beyond the matter of questions, I want you to have a few answers. Answers I wanted to give you a long time ago, when you first told me that I _didn't,_ in fact, love you."

Right, Elle had forgotten about that. She couldn't believe she'd ever been so cruel as to tell him outright his feelings were invalid. Maybe she deserved what she'd gotten, after all. She nodded, watching him with rapt attention.

He held her hands securely. "When I told you I loved you, I didn't mean to scare you. I wasn't trying to shock you into confessing you felt the same way, and I wasn't trying to manipulate you by saying so in public. I just needed to get it out of my heart and into the open. I didn't know about what the Clause meant for us, because if I did, I honestly would have gone about it much differently. Maybe, I don't know." He frowned in confusion before shaking his head and continuing. "My point being, I said what I did because I meant it…and maybe because in the moment, it felt ironic that the one person I'd want for my own would be opposed to that idea. I've waited a long time to fall in love, Elle. I didn't actually think it was going to happen to me _at all_. And when it did, it seemed like some sort of cruel fate that the person I found, the person I connected with, didn't want to have anything to do with me." He looked down and gave a little shrug. "I suppose that's my own insecurity talking, about not being wanted, or needed."

 _Oh god,_ Elle thought, remembering what she knew of his backstory from Charlie's retelling. _Oh god, he's an orphan, isn't he? Oh my god, all this time I've been grieving the loss of my parents and family and he's been right there by my side, even though he's never even had a family of his own. Oh my god I'm such a bi—_

"I don't know how much you know—"

"Enough," she cut in softly, running her thumbs over the backs of his hands. "I know enough for that to make sense."

Again Bernard nodded, looking out over her head at the dimming dome above. It would soon be too dark and cold to be out, and he knew he needed to reach his main point before they needed to go. "There's so much to say, and so much to make right," he said, catching her gaze. "But for now, there's just one thing I need you to know, and think on." He lifted her hands and kissed her knuckles before going on, seeming a bit misty eyed himself.

"I love you, Elle Connelly. I love you, no matter where you are, or how far apart we might be. I love you even if I have to wait for you, another year, or ten years, or a hundred years; whatever it takes. I'll wait on you, until you're ready to let me in that beautiful heart of yours. And when you are ready for love, I hope you think of me."

Elle sat in stunned shock, tears hanging in her eyes before she blinked once, twice. She took a breath, then laughed, covering her face with her hands. When she looked back at him, her face was wet with tears but her eyes were shining.

"You stubborn, wonderful, brilliant elf," she said softly, smiling in mixed relief and happiness. "When are you going to finally understand that you're always on my mind?"

Bernard's face shifted between surprise and disbelief and joy before she tugged him in, hugging him tightly as the ache in her chest bloomed into something brighter, more promising. He held her close in a way she hadn't felt him hug her before: as though he were certain about her _wanting_ to be held, and _loved._

"I'm so sorry I put you through so much."

"We both went through the wringer over this, didn't we?"

They both chuckled at that before growing more solemn.

"I know there's still more to discuss," Bernard said, softly into her ear. "But I thought we should probably get some dinner? And maybe finish this conversation indoors. It's getting late."

"Sounds fine by me."

"You sure?"

Elle smiled, a hand coming to rest on his cheek. "Yeah, B. Let's go."

* * *

They went for takeout, but to avoid the interest of the other elves with their late-night fraternizing they took it with them, back to Bernard's house. It didn't feel like the place had changed much, though it seemed the coffee table was in a different place and she was certain that the wall that had once been filled with pictures and drawings from Buddy was empty. The boy hadn't even been conceived yet, Elle reminded herself; just another thing that was different in 2005.

That wasn't all though, no; far from it. Whatever had changed between them hung like a sort of happy static energy in the space between them, with just the faintest tinge of uncertainty. Where would they go from here? Bernard had made his position clear, and now it remained up to Elle to decide what happened next. Luckily, she'd already made that decision before they'd had their talk.

"I want you to know," Bernard said over the last of dinner, "that your position in the workshop is secure no matter what we choose to do—or not do," he added quickly, as a worried afterthought. Elle nodded, feeling slightly relieved even though she hadn't thought in that direction to begin with. "You'll be able to return to your position as number two elf once the Christmas-New Year's holiday intermission is over. Nothing is going to come in the way of that, unless for some reason you choose to do otherwise."

"I don't see why I would leave," she replied thoughtfully, and Bernard visibly relaxed. She got up, taking the dishes to the sink before sitting down opposite him again. "Speaking of not leaving…is now an okay time for me to say what I wanted to?"

"You didn't tell me earlier?" He asked, slightly puzzled.

"No. You did say we'd finish the conversation later, you know."

"I assumed you'd have more questions for me—about the Clause, or the ring box, which, speaking of, I haven't seen since we got back…"

Elle held up a finger before going to the coat rack and pulling the small velvet box from her coat pocket. "I brought it with me, when we came here from our time," she explained, setting it on the table and sliding it towards him. "I had to um, to well, wear the ring, to bring us home."

"What?" Bernard looked like he'd been slapped across the face.

"It was the only way, Father Time told me we needed an object from the original timeline to get back and this was all I had on me. It was the only way to get back to you," Elle defended, fidgeting with her hands. "I know it wasn't right—I know that if you ever _did_ want me to wear it you should have been the one to say so and give me permission but I didn't have a choice and I did take it off as soon as we got back—"

"Elle." He looked at her seriously, setting a hand over hers on the table. "I'm not mad."

"You're not?"

"Of course not." Bernard pulled a face, shaking his head. "What would be the point? According to the Clause, that ring has only ever been meant to belong to you anyway. It's practically your birth right, so if you chose to wear it—for however short a time—you of all people don't need to justify that."

"But it still is meaningful to you," she argued. "Bernard, I've read the Clause too. This ring isn't just an engagement ring, it's a symbol of betrothal—meaning that it _is_ my birth right, as you said. That I've been meant for you since…well, since I came into this world. Which is a wild concept, when you think about it."

"Only by modern standards. Even a hundred years ago, betrothals were still commonplace."

"Well, call me a millennial then." She shrugged and laced her fingers together on the table. "A lot of people in my generation don't even consider marriage for various reasons: money, or lack of religious belief, or just a sense of defying the patriarchy. I understand the concept of a betrothal, but coming from a time and place where a lot of people my age can't even _afford_ an engagement ring, I guess it's just a lot to take in."

"It's still completely up to you," Bernard reassured, a bit worried that she might reject the idea out of disdain for its antiquity. He should have known better though, as she wasn't rejecting him for that reason either. He ran his fingers over the box, eyes fixed thoughtfully on the red velvet. "I won't try to tell you what to think. I, for one, am old fashioned. Now that I understand that the Clause isn't trying to trap me, it feels oddly comforting."

"I can understand that." Elle lost track of herself just watching him, thinking about all the things she wanted to say and trying to pick exactly the point she was trying to make. Her gaze trailed over the thoughtful furrow in his brow and the slight downturn of his mouth before she found him looking back at her and she sat up, inhaling sharply and placing her hands in her lap. "Is it okay if I give you my final thoughts on what you said earlier? And on my own opinions?"

He hadn't exactly expected her to come back so quickly with a response, but he found himself eager to listen all the same. He nodded, composing himself into an attentive expression. Although he knew he shouldn't worry too much, based on the fact that she'd already heard what he had to say and then had spent the evening with him, but he couldn't help but feel anxious all the same. "Of course, if you're ready."

"I've been ready," Elle admitted, breaking the eye contact to look down at the table. "I already knew what my answer was before you told me how you felt, and that decision hasn't changed."

That had a definite air to it. Uncertain, Bernard nodded. "Go on."

She looked down at her hands, not quite able to keep her eyes on his face as she spoke. It felt strange to be so forthcoming with her innermost thoughts and feelings, with anyone, not just him. She routinely internalized most of her problems, but this time, she needed to say what she felt instead of just bottling it up.

"I don't think I understood what it was like to lose someone until Jack did what he did." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I know that sounds crazy, considering what I was going through before that and what I'm dealing with now. But after forgetting this place, and then remembering everything like I did, it was like realizing I'd lost an entire _world—_ a world with you in it. And frankly, losing people has become my biggest fear. It always happens to me, I can't avoid it, and I never know who's going to be next. Which brings me back to what I told you earlier, about being afraid of losing you."

Bernard did not like where this was going. It felt like she was letting him down _again_ , oh so slowly, and somewhere inside his head alarm bells began going off. "Elle…" He began, in a low, reproachful tone, but she shot him a pleading look.

"I promise this isn't going where you think. Just, listen."

He gave her a concerned look before gesturing for her to continue.

"I realize that—for now, at least— my fear of losing the people I care about isn't going to go away. It just won't. It's going to take time, maybe even years to get over. Part of me believes it won't fully heal until I know whether or not I'll get to see my family again, and for that, there's going to be an eleven year wait. I can't control that, it's out of my hands." She paused, tilting her head slightly. "But, I do have control over how I decide to act around the people I still have. Like you, B."

The room was silent, so much so that her voice seemed to be followed by faint static. She could see that he was hanging onto each word she said, one hand in a loose fist on the table and the other gripping his knee—she didn't have to see it to know. Part of her was surprised, even though she knew now that he did love her. It just didn't stop coming as a shock that he would be so caught up over her.

"The way I see it, I have a choice. I can choose to cower away from any person I'm afraid of losing, keeping to myself to keep myself safe. Or…" She lifted an eyebrow, looking him in the eyes and weighing the words on her tongue.

"Or?" he prompted.

"Or," she replied, "I make the most of the present."

"Elle." Bernard sat back, taking a deep breath. He seemed at a loss for words, setting a hand to his head as if thoroughly mind-boggled.

"I might be afraid of losing you, Bernard, but that doesn't mean I want to waste my time being apart. I'd rather be with you and not hide my feelings anymore, so that if anything ever does happen, if we're ever pulled apart again, and more definitely…then I don't have to regret what I didn't give, because I'll have held nothing back."

He looked more and more confused, and Elle began to think she wasn't explaining well at all. After a closer look, though, she realized that it wasn't confusion but instead guarded disbelief. "What are you saying?"

"I love you?" She gave a helpless little shrug, offering a hesitant smile with fresh tears in her eyes. Bernard's face took on an unreadable expression. "I love you, Bernard. And if you still want to be with me, then I want to be with you too—not in a year, or ten or a hundred years. Right now—or, well. As soon as you're willing to try." He still seemed completely shocked, so she kept talking. "I know it's a lot to ask, after how long this has been going on and I've been putting you off. But after what we've been through, you're what I care most about and I'm tired of pretending that your feelings don't matter to me. They've always mattered to me."

He stared across the table at her, looking a million miles away. Elle rose to her feet and his eyes followed as she nervously fidgeted with her hands. "Say something," she begged, voice barely above a whisper. "Please, say something. Anything."

' _What could I possibly say?'_ She had least expected him to reply mentally, but there he was: clear as sleigh bells in her mind. She could feel their connection, like it had never left in the first place, but his words were more concerning. _'What could I possibly say to that, Elle? I…I can't top that. I don't even know where to begin…'_

She broke into a teary smile of relief, looking up at the ceiling with one hand on the table. He was just overwhelmed, not angry. "Um, well," she began gently, fumbling over her words. "Honestly? I think a 'yes' would be enough."

The last thing Bernard had expected was for her to at long last say those three words, in conjunction with her wanting to be with him. It was a bombshell he'd only dreamed of, not thinking it would be realistic to expect so much of her. But here she was, in his kitchen of all places, saying everything he'd wished to hear, and he had to subtly pinch himself to believe he wasn't still unconscious in the Elfirmary and dreaming all of this up.

He rose beside her, hesitating just a moment before cradling her face in both hands. Then at last he smiled, and Elle felt her whole world turn right side up again. "It's that simple now? I can just say it, and that'll be enough for you?"

"It can be, if you want it."

"Then yes. Yes, of course!" he said, and that was all it took. Elle tugged him down and kissed him properly, the feeling of new hope creeping through her like liquid sunshine. She felt safe, protected. He smiled against her lips and she realized that at last, this was what it felt like to be in love.

Elle couldn't help but think it felt more like coming home than anything else had yet.

"Elle?"

"Yes?"

 _'_ _I love you, too.'_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	29. Chapter 29

_29._

Elle wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the most recent changes in her life.

Granted, no matter which way she looked at things the last year of her life had been full of hectic and stressful changes; but these most recent ones weren't like the others. They were good changes, and it took a lot for her to not keep looking over her shoulder for the loophole that was going to come and take it all away from her. Because, truth be told, for the first time in a long time, she really liked where her life was headed. It was a strange, dizzying realization, but after what she'd been through, very welcome.

Still, she was at a bit of loss. The first few days of waking up at the Pole made her realize that she wasn't dreaming and in fact, this was her life now. Just what that meant was still a bit unclear, though. Sure, she was an elf again, and Bernard had told her that her position as number two in the workshop was still written in, but that didn't give her a whole lot of peace of mind. Regardless of how much she wished she wasn't, she was struggling with finding her sense of self in the wake of all that had happened. Between her initially becoming an elf and losing her family, to what Jack did, to the whole other life she lived in the alternate timeline, and back to Bernard and how she'd come to be ele—no, for the next few days at least, twelve years into the past, she had a lot to sort through. Somewhere along the lines, she had lost track of which version of herself—of Elle Connelly—was the one she wanted to be.

It was a complicated idea, and a train of thought she'd never thought she'd be exploring.

Luckily, Bernard didn't seem too keen on giving her a whole lot of free time on her own to brood, which was probably for the best. She wasn't exactly sure what to call what they had, and she didn't want to ask for fear that he already knew and she was somehow not catching on. But it was her biggest comfort (and excitement, honestly,) because it meant that this time, she didn't have to go through whatever came next alone.

Besides the few days she'd had with Bernard in the alternate timeline, she'd never had him all to herself like this before. Granted, it was different now anyway. They weren't being hesitant anymore, they were moving forward, together, growing a bit closer each day. Knowing that that was an okay thing to be doing—even the goal, really—was a new mindset for Elle especially, but she definitely wasn't complaining. Bernard was her one constant in all the chaos, and just then she felt very grateful she'd ended up by his side in such an intimate capacity.

That was a funny way of saying "in love with him", she thought, but saying that still came as a bit of a shock.

Taking things slowly definitely helped though. In spite of the Emissary Clause looming in the foreseeable distance, they had both agreed to take their time to feel comfortable with being in a relationship with each other. So far, it was going splendidly. Since it was still the Christmas/New Year's vacation period, they had plenty of free time to spend doing whatever they pleased. Unsurprisingly they gravitated towards each other, and found a great deal of their time was spent tucked away either at Bernard's house, or in Elle's suite.

It didn't really matter what they were doing; whether it was watching something (Elle felt lucky that a great many of her favorite shows had started earlier that year) or reading to each other (Bernard had a really calming voice? Or maybe she was just really prone to naps after the events of the past few weeks, but she was inclined to believe it was the former) or even just sitting together, talking about whatever came to mind. Elle felt a calm happiness that she'd never have guessed was possible, and from the way he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as she was, he must have felt it as well.

Cuddling was pretty great, too.

Carol had joined Santa in visiting the in-laws that year, so there had been no time to discuss what had happened during his delivery hours. It was two weeks after Christmas before he came back to the Pole, seeming quite refreshed but ready to get back to planning for the new year. It was at that point that Elle realized her happy little intermission was coming to a close. It would have made her a little panicky if Bernard hadn't sensed her anxiety and calmed her right down.

They'd dealt with the explanations together, kept things as simple as possible, and in the end Scott seemed quite satisfied with the answers. He reassured them that if he needed more details, he'd try to ask Father Time. "You two have been through enough at this point," he said. "I think it's time to let it be for a while, don't you? Let's put some space between us and everything that's happened before we talk about any of this again. And who knows? I'm hoping we won't have to."

"Definitely, sir." Bernard had sounded very relieved, and Elle could only nod in agreement, the weight of the complicated situation finally lifting off of her shoulders. Of course, the subject of Jack hadn't been approached, but that was alright for the time being. Elle had been a little worried about Bernard's temper with the matter, since he'd yet to give the legend a piece of his mind and was therefore still a bit steamed. That was a whole other discussion, for a time when they'd had a chance to really catch their breath.

With these heavier topics finally laid to rest for the foreseeable future, Elle finally felt calm enough to think clearly. Oddly enough, one of the first things she began to really think about again and again was the idea of finding a place of her own to live. She missed her flat in Seattle, and no matter how she tried to ignore the idea she kept thinking that she really did want a place like that here, for her _own._ Some place she could decorate according to her own tastes and make _home._ Not that she wasn't happy in the suite she'd been given in the workshop's guest space, or even at Bernard's house when she spent time there. But being in the suite reminded her of her sisters a little too much to be comfortable considering the circumstances, and well…it was far from time for her to move in with Bernard, now wasn't it?

So she threw house hunting into the mix of her new routine. She needed routine, Elle knew that about herself. Having a schedule kept her from going nuts from boredom or her thoughts closing in on her, twice as much so since she'd become telepathic. Since the Workshop was still on break she found she had more time for things like doing her own laundry (oddly cathartic) and going to the gym (Elfsburg absolutely had a gym, though she hadn't known about it before. She worked out a lot of tension there on the punching bags.)

Eventually (inevitably, really, with how much time they were spending together) Bernard found out what she was doing. "Classifieds?" He asked one morning over her shoulder at breakfast, and Elle hummed in agreement. "Yeesh, that's not even the fun part of the paper. You looking for something?"

"My sense of self worth," Elle joked, getting a serious and mildly concerned look from him. She held up a hand and shook her head before he could start giving her a full explanation of why she shouldn't doubt herself so much. "Kidding! I'm kidding. I dunno. I mean, don't get me wrong, the suite is real nice, but…after everything? I kind of just want a space of my own."

"That's understandable. I mean, you're not exactly a _guest_ anymore, are you?" That was a good point. "So…a house?"

"God no. With what money am I gonna buy a _house_?"

"Your position does pay well enough. You could afford it if you wanted to."

"Does it? I never really paid attention to it before." Elle sighed, propping her cheek on her fist as Bernard sat down beside her. "No, a house is…too much. Too empty, for me, right now…" She stared down at the newspaper, the black and white text swimming before her eyes. She felt a hand on her back.

"S'okay, I wasn't trying to upset you, sweetheart. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." She scoffed softly. "I've been through this enough times now, I guess I thought it'd be easier."

"I'm not sure it's something that _gets_ easier, at least as far as having to go through it from square one again. But, time will tell."

"True." Sensing the conversation was about to take a turn into the more depressing side of things, Elle quickly shifted back on topic. "Anyway, no house. I'm thinking more like the situation I had on my own. My college flat?"

"In Seattle?"

A nod. "That one. I'm thinking something like that, maybe a little more livable since that place _was_ a little rough around the edges…"

"I might know of a place."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. A couple, now that I actually think about it. There's a loft over one of the gift storage warehouses, that has the same kind of feel as your old place. I think it might get pretty noisy when some of the bigger items are getting moved around though."

"Are you talking about the ones kind of on the western outskirts of town?"

"Yeah, but it's one of the closer ones. And since you can teleport, there's really not a worry as far as commuting goes."

"Good point." Elle drummed her pen on the newspaper. "What are the others?"

"There's one in town near the market district, I think it sits overtop a bakery? I'm not sure it's quite as big or if it's for all intents and purposes a open air loft of the sort you had. I think they were making it more livable a while back. I'm not sure it's free anymore either, we'd have to check."

"We?"

"Well, yeah." Bernard shrugged, a puzzled look on his face. "You don't think I'd leave you to figure this out all on your own, do you?" He smiled, then looked mildly worried. "I mean, unless you'd _prefer_ to find a place by yourself. That's okay too! I was just trying to—"

"Bernard." She reached out and set a hand on his. "It's _fine._ I'm happy to have your help."

"Oh." He seemed relieved, but also like he was trying to hide the fact that he'd been worried in the first place. "Okay then." He went on to mention more potential places, but Elle has begun to think back to when she'd gotten her first flat. Even though Elle had chosen to keep the location of her final choice secret, Jacqueline had been the one to comb through the adverts with her. The thought of her best friend—well, former best friend? Was enough to cause her to lose track of Bernard's words, until he caught her attention again.

"…Elle?" He was watching her with concern, the way he'd taken to doing whenever she grew melancholy while thinking of her family. "You alright?"

"Yeah." She watched his thumb run back and forth over her hand and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Sorry, I just…"

"You don't have to explain. I can already feel it." He tapped the side of his head. She nodded, having forgotten yet again the extent of their mental and emotional bond. It took some getting used to—indeed, it seemed that the more they opened up to each other, the stronger it got.

 _'_ _She's not really angry with you, you know.'_ Elle looked up, mildly shocked. Bernard fixed her with an earnest look. "Jacqueline, I mean. In spite of what happened, I know she's not really as angry as you're thinking she is."

"I don't think she's _angry,_ B. I think I ruined our friendship. The things I said to her…comparing her to Jack! I just…" Elle sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Maybe if I hadn't remembered yet, it could have been forgivable. But I knew what I was saying, I knew how messed up Jack was and _comparing_ her to him…how could I do that? How could I try to deliberately hurt her like that?" Her eyes stung, and she looked down at her lap.

"Elle." She heard Bernard's chair scoot closer to her over the wooden floor, and then saw him take her hands from her lap. "Elle, look at me."

She took a breath and looked up, regret etched all over her face.

"You didn't know that Jacqueline wasn't like Jack. After what happened…it may have been wrong to say those things, but it was an easy misconception to have."

"She was my best friend. I should have given her the benefit of the doubt at _least._ I owed her that."

There was a long pause, and Bernard weighed his answer carefully before replying. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Listen, Jacqueline may be upset by what you said, but she's still your friend. She still knows what you were going through and with any luck, she doesn't blame you for what you said. I mean, I wasn't exactly feeling terrific when it happened, but if I remember correctly she said some things too."

"I deserved them though."

"Don't say that! Don't even think it. Neither of you did. It's just a big misunderstanding." He sat up, taking a deep breath. "You know, all this worry and fuss could be avoided if you'd just _talk_ to her."

Elle scoffed. "How? My connection to her is dead—or at least, well buried. Even feels a little too frosty, for good measure. And I doubt she's kept her phone now that she's, you know. Her frozen self again. She barely kept her phone when she _wasn't_ allowed to use magic."

"We could go visit her."

"What?" Elle physically recoiled, her chair scooting backwards.

"Jacqueline lives with her family at Frost Mansion, in Crystal Springs. It's a magical province, not _too_ far a trip. We could stop by, see if she's willing to talk…"

"No!" She shook her head furiously. "No, no no. I'm not…I'm not ready. I…" A glass on the table started to shake a little, perhaps as a side effect of her mental turmoil. Bernard frowned.

"Alright, alright. Not yet, I hear you." Elle clasped her hands together in her lap, nodding in agreement. She hated how easily emotional things could still get under her skin, get control of her powers. She already felt weak one way, was it necessary for her to feel it in her telepathy as well? She knew Bernard just wanted what was best for her. She knew now that Jacqueline and him had been friends long before she had come around, and he probably didn't like to see her estranged from her friend anymore than she herself did. But it didn't make her feel any more ready to confront—or face, whichever the case—Jacqueline.

Not just yet.

* * *

A few days went by, during which Elle spent some time going through the items that belonged to her in the suite. To her surprise, there were things there from both timelines, the original and the one she'd just come from. Her boots from the farm, some of Annise's books, the dress she'd come back in, one of Dottie's sweatshirts. Her phone from Seattle. Oddly, a great many of the numbers she tried to call were disconnected or didn't exist at all, especially the numbers of her friends in Maine. While that made her wonder, she considered that it could simply be the matter of the year causing the difficulty and let it be.

Going through everything was honestly a lot to face. But it was good in its own way, forcing her to come to complete terms with all that had happened and begin to form some kind of closure. Predictably, the matter that wouldn't settle for her was Jacqueline, but she didn't exactly want to show that. Bernard seemed very sure that Jacqueline wasn't going to hate her quite as much as she expected, and Elle was hesitant to hope for that much. Maybe he was right—after all, by the sound of things, he'd known Jacqueline for centuries. He might know her better than she did, but with all she'd lost, Elle didn't want to open herself up to a possible rejection so soon.

Abby had been the first one besides Bernard to discover Elle's plans to find a place of her own, since she'd walked in on her sorting things and putting them in boxes she'd procured from packing department's overstock. She'd seemed worried Elle was leaving again until Elle quickly explained her plans. That made Abby very excited, since it showed just how much the number two elf was planning to _stay_. She too knew of the flat Bernard had mentioned over one of the bakeries in Elfsburg (apparently, the Grille sourced a lot of their baked goods from there) and was able to confirm that it was still free. "It's in a really nice neighborhood and isn't too noisy," she'd explained. "Plus you'll be within walking distance to most things."

She even gave Elle some tips on where to go shopping for household items, like blankets and dishes and such. It was a nice idea that this time, Elle would be able to decorate how she liked. With her old flat, she'd never really taken the time to make it feel homey; just functional, since she'd been busy—well, busy trying to remember.

A few days later she and Bernard went round to take a look at the place. It was in a lively but peaceful part of Elfsburg, a few blocks from the town square and a little out of the way but like Abby had said, still plenty close to nearly everything within walking distance. The Workshop was about a ten-minute walk away, if she did decide to actually go by foot. The bakery it was set over seemed to specialize in Austrian style pastries as well as breads (which Bernard spent a great deal of time perusing while Elle was talking with the owner about things like the price of rent and utilities and such.) The loft was connected by an exterior, mosaic tiled staircase the likes of which was seen often throughout town, and led up to a deep green door. Elle found that shade of green very becoming, the longer she looked at it, and thought she might not mind living behind it.

They went inside, and she couldn't help but let out a happy little gasp at the sight of the place. It was more open than she'd expected, the roof high enough to allow a balcony in part of the loft above the kitchen, which the owner suggested might make a good bedroom space. The rest of the loft was quite open, with a large living area and several large windows in what would be the front wall of the building. A few smaller ones ran along the side wall towards the kitchen (which was against the back wall) and there was a nice amount of light in the balcony, which to Elle's delight, came from a skylight. It was light and had an airy feel to it, but remained cozy, with the faintest scent of warm baking wafting up from the shop below. The staff only worked until six pm, she was told, so during the evenings and nights she would essentially have the building to herself, and with it plenty of privacy.

Bernard eventually came up and joined them, a loaf of sandwich bread tucked under one arm. "What do you think?" he asked Elle quietly.

"I _like_ it, B." She was already smiling when the owner offered to give them a little time to think about it and left them in the space on their own. Once she was gone, Elle began excitedly pointing around the room, re-explaining what she'd been told and even adding a few ideas of her own. It was nice to see Elle so excited about something again, Bernard thought, as she took his hand and happily led him around a bit. Maybe this move really was what she needed, to start feeling a real sense of _belonging_ again. He just wanted her to feel like she was home, this time. She'd lost enough already.

Elle trailed off in the middle of her sentence, fixing him with a mildly concerned look. Then her expression grew a little softer. "Hey," she said gently, giving his hand a little squeeze. "I'm already happy here, Bernard. You know that, don't you?"

"I know." Bernard gave a soft shrug, and a softer smile. "I just want you to feel…like you've found what you were looking for."

 _'_ _You goof. I already did find exactly who I was looking for.'_ She smiled, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his cheek, then looked around the loft again. "And I think this could be really great too," she added out loud.

"Well you'll definitely have enough space. It's a little bigger than I remembered."

"It's nice! I'll have room to have a painting space again. I mean…" she grew a little sheepish. "I don't suppose I _need_ one…"

"Nonsense! Painting is a good creative outlet for an elf. Not to mention, you weren't half bad."

"You know, with that 'painting is a good creative outlet for an elf' spiel, you sounded a little like—"

"Elle, I love you, but don't test your luck by comparing me Curtis," Bernard said, holding up a hand in warning. Elle shook her head, laughing.

"Whatever you say, Bernard."

They headed down and Elle signed the papers, walking away that evening with a key and a renewed sense of purpose.

"It'll take me a few months to save enough for furniture and stuff after the down payment," she mused, swinging their hands between them as they walked back to his house. She was in an exceptionally good mood considering what a big decision she'd just made. Last time she'd signed a lease, she'd been second guessing and worried for weeks afterward. This time, it just felt right, and she was at ease with her choice. Or maybe it was because she had a very good second opinion. Obviously, Bernard wasn't just going to let her jump into something over her head without having something to say about it, and in this case, he seemed equally pleased with the situation. "Where do people go to buy furniture around here, anyway?"

"There are a few small places, but for the most part, everyone goes to Crystal Springs to shop for big purchases like furniture." Crystal Springs. Why was that name familiar again? "They have a lot of the big box stores you might find in America or Canada there."

"Do they have an IKEA?"

"I think so. But it's been a while since I went furniture shopping last, so don't quote me on that."

" _Nice."_ Elle thought for a moment, frowning. "Might be a little hard to get the boxes up those stairs—they're a little narrow after all…"

Bernard glanced at her sideways. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Am I?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "I didn't count on you of all people to forget you're telepathic."

"Oh." Elle looked taken aback. "Oh _yeah."_

 _"_ Last time you moved you moved alone. How did you get things up to that flat?" Bernard asked, still chuckling.

"It had an elevator, remember? I made a lot of trips, a lot of back and forth. I couldn't exactly use my telepathy in public there."

"Right, that was probably a good choice."

"Granted, I did cheat a little. As long as I made it look like I was moving the boxes, I could use my telepathy to do the heavy lifting. But I was still sore for a week after moving all that. Who knew mattresses are so heavy?"

"I'm still surprised you kept that flat such a secret."

"I _really_ didn't want anyone snooping around my stuff. I needed a safe space to get everything out of my head and onto paper, you know?"

"Sure." There was a pause before Elle realized that wasn't what he'd meant.

"You meant you were surprised I kept it a secret, even from _Jacqueline."_

 _"_ Did I say it like that?" His voice went a little higher, and he stammered just a little, and Elle knew she was right. He tugged at his satchel strap. "Look, I didn't mean it in an upsetting way—"

"I know you didn't. It's my fault, I'm the one having a hang up about talking to Jacqueline and…and fixing things."

Before Bernard could reply, Elle's attention was shifted into the nearest shop window. It was one of the places she'd gone shopping with Charlie, back before all the time shenanigans had happened. But given that it was several years prior to when they'd checked its inventory, the mannequins in the window proved that the stock was completely different—and the main attraction, in Elle's opinion, was a deep emerald green trench coat.

"See something you like?" Elle glanced over to find Bernard looking amused.

"What? No, I just…"

"Come on, Elle. I've seen that look plenty of times in children looking in at department store toy displays."

She raised an eyebrow. "You calling me a kid, B?"

Bernard spluttered. "No! No. But I've seen that expression enough to know when someone _really_ wants something." He gave her a little nudge. "Want to see if they have it in stock?"

She hesitated a moment, torn between the urge to watch her wallet and not make impulsive purchases right on the heels of signing a lease. But the expression of encouragement and warmth on Bernard's face brought her around to remembering that her coat was growing threadbare, and it was only the second week of January.

"Oh, alright," she sighed, with a slight laugh, and he broke into a grin. They went in, knocking snow off their shoes at the door, and the discussion of Jacqueline was again abandoned. Bernard was rather grateful for that, since he knew now that Elle wasn't coming around quite yet. That was alright, he'd keep trying—but for the meantime, maybe it was better to let Elle sort out the rest of her situation, and leave the reuniting for when she had less on her mind.

The sound of Elle clearing her throat brought his attention back to the present. There she was, hands in the pockets of that green trench coat from the window, swishing it slightly to test out the fit. "What do you think?" She asked, the shy smile on her face showing how much she wanted him to like it.

He already knew he liked it, but he thought he'd play along a little first. "Hmm. Can you turn?" He asked, adopting a thoughtful expression. She turned, and he couldn't help but smile behind her back.

"The sleeves fit really nicely too, they aren't swallowing my hands," she said, tugging on the cuffs a little, "and I can button it up just fine, even if I'm wearing one of my thicker sweaters underneath. Do you think it fits me properly in the shoulders?"

"I think it's the perfect coat for you."

"Really?"

He laughed a little. "Yeah! It suits you, very flattering. Do _you_ like it?"

"I think it's just what I've been looking for." She hesitated again. "I dunno, maybe I should wait until next month. My old jacket still works for now—"

"Elle, you've had to resew two buttons this week. And, I know for a fact that one of the pockets is torn almost all the way away from the lining, cause I nearly got my hand stuck there when I was trying to grab the keys to the snowmobile the other day."

"I thought I was going to have to cut your hand out of there," Elle mused, with a slight giggle.

"Pockets aren't supposed to be death traps!" He gave her a slightly stern look, but his voice was gentle. "So, if you don't have a very _good_ reason not to, then we're getting the coat."

For a moment he was a little worried he'd upset her, because it looked like her eyes grew misty. But then she swallowed and nodded, beginning to slip the coat off.

"Okay! I'll take it."

Ten minutes later they stepped out of the shop, Elle's new coat in a bag hanging from her arm. The dome was darkening for the night, and the streets of Elfsburg were beginning to clear out and grow quiet.

"Thank you for all your help today," Elle said. "You didn't have to come and help me with this, but I _really_ appreciate that you did."

"Don't worry about it, I was glad to." Before he could finish, a small group of younger girl elves, no doubt on their way home, caught their attention as they actually giggled at the sight of Elle and Bernard holding hands. A kiss on Elle's cheek from Bernard sent them on their way, a soft chorus of "aww"s going with them. Elle blushed up to her ears, nudging him playfully.

"You troublemaker."

"Who, me?" He tried to sound shocked, but ended up chuckling all the same. "I mean, if they're going to stare, might as well give them something to stare about."

"I think they just want to be sure we're okay, for the most part," she replied, as they rounded the corner towards Bernard's house. "I keep getting lots of questions around the workshop about how _we're_ doing."

"And how do you think we're doing, Elle?"

Elle smiled, taking a deep breath and leaning a little closer, so their shoulders brushed while they walked. It occurred to her for the first time that maybe, she didn't have to pick which version of herself to be. Regardless of alternate universes and the circumstances, maybe the real Elle Connelly was who she was becoming along the way.

"I think we're doing just fine, B."

* * *

 _Hey guys, I'm gonna try to keep this author's note brief, but I d have a few things to say! I've been gone six months so there are a few things I should address._

 _First of all: this chapter closes the original TEC arc. I know, I drew it out a lot longer than the original, but I felt it needed to be done to give the story the depth and all of the scenes I wanted to put in it. So thank you for sticking with me this far and reading what TEC has become over the past five or so years!_

 _Secondly, I'm not making a sequel. TEC2 was the sequel to the original story, but I've chosen not to follow that storyline at all and instead, to take a new direction with Elle and her family. Instead of a sequel, I'll be continuing Elle's story right here, in TEC:Reloaded. The upcoming chapters will be fun anecdotes and occurrences from the 12 years between this point and when Elle can (potentially) see her family again. I've got quite a lot planned for this part, at least another 13 parts as far as I've planned so far. My plan is to be able to keep last year's December update trend, though it will probably be every two days or three days that I update, instead of daily. We'll see how much I'm able to write ahead of time!_

 _Thirdly, there will be a Jacqueline/Elle reunion. That is in the works, and will hopefully be ready to read sometime in December. So yes, Jacqueline will very much come back into the picture! Don't worry._

 _Fourthly, I may be changing the name of this story. So if that happens, don't freak out! It's the only thing that's gonna change. I know I want to change it but I'm not sure what to, so if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears. :)_

 _Fifth, over this year safyresky and I have been making a ton of content for our shitty winter/elf children on tumblr, in the form of art, one shots, drabbles, and au's. Her user name on tumblr is safyresky, and mine has been quite recently changed to shittyelfwriter. Feel free to check us out for more content than we're able to post on this site!_

 _And finally, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Kate, aka Winterfrost15. She previously wrote some incredible works, both with Dani's characters and mine, that we very much loved. A truly gifted writer. The last we knew she was planning a rewrite, and then, very recently and suddenly, she deleted from all platforms without warning. We miss her very much, and hope she's doing okay. Kate, this one's for you, and if you ever need us or feeling like talking, Dani and I are both here to chat._

 _Wow, this was anything but brief. Thanks for putting up with the news, and I hope to see you all for the next chapter!_

 _As always, feedback, reviews, favorites and follows are always appreciated!_

 _Thank you for reading my work._

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	30. Chapter 30

_30._

A few weeks went by, and during that time things _really_ fell into a comfortable routine. Work was fun, since for the remainder of January and a bit into February the majority of the Workshop was in the planning phases of production. There were lots of meetings about what toy trends were likely to prevail over the year, and many hours spent in R and D tinkering around with prospective formulas and styles and such. It was a little odd for Elle, who remembered a great deal of the toys from her childhood; and it only served to remind her that somewhere out there in the wide world, there was another "version" of her, growing up and having a childhood of her own. That Elle would be turning ten that month, she realized, and it caused a few moments of existential crisis—but nothing she couldn't handle.

And on the moving front, she'd begun to find things she wanted for her new place. Some curtains, a nice bookshelf, an art desk. They were already waiting in the loft, gathering dust until she bought some of the more functional furniture items, like a bed, for example.

There was, of course, still a certain level of nervousness she felt. It probably had to do with this being her true first year as number two elf—and _as_ an elf, realistically. Curtis had told her that the position could be a little overwhelming at first, but she'd settle down into it. She had before after all! "And for elves as capable as us, it's really no trouble to settle into the mantle of the role," he'd said with a proud little puff of his chest, and she couldn't help but smile. For all his faults, Curtis was endearing, and a good friend.

Bernard didn't seem worried about her performance at all. If anything, he seemed _very_ satisfiedwith her being back on the floor with him, and by his side for a great number of things. That didn't exactly stop her from worrying that maybe that contentment was carried over from how well they were doing on a more personal level, because things with Bernard were going great too. Really, her worries were unfounded. She needed to relax, and enjoy the moment more than she was. Taking things as they came and not looking back over her shoulder certainly would have been productive, but somehow, something was stopping her. Everything felt a little _too_ good, considering what they'd been through.

Or maybe that feeling was because she hadn't resolved _all_ of the issues that had been bothering her.

Bernard left it alone, for the most part. He seemed to have realized that it really _was_ Elle's mess to clean up (or maybe she'd just finally made that point clear.) But there were times when he'd casually mention something related to Jacqueline, and Elle would pause and then sigh deeply and ask him not to bring the subject up. It seemed to make him concerned and a little sad when she said that, but she was a little too caught up in her guilt to acknowledge it. It was a constant, nagging weight on her shoulders, the way she'd dismissed her best friend out of hand.

Deep down, she wanted to make it right. She knew _Bernard_ wanted her to make it right too—Jacqueline was his friend as well. In fact, he'd known her _much_ , much longer than Elle ever had. _Centuries_ longer. The difficulty between Elle and Jacqueline made it odd between him and Jacqueline as well, even though Elle had never asked him _not_ to speak to her. It was just unnecessarily complicated, a situation that could be fixed with a simple discussion, if only Elle would stop _avoiding_ it.

The issue was, mentioning Jacqueline gently to her made her shut down, and mentioning Jacqueline more _firmly_ made her telepathy act up, which was a clear indication of how much it upset her. Bernard didn't ever want to force Elle into anything she didn't feel comfortable with, but at the same time, he knew it was only hurting her to think her best friend hated her, and he hated seeing her hurting.

And Elle wasn't willing to try and fix it, so he didn't know what to do.

As luck would have it, it wasn't long before Elle herself began to show signs of the strain. Bernard showed up to Elle's room in the guest suites one morning for breakfast (as they'd fallen into a routine of doing, with the mornings currently being as slow as they were) to find her hanging off the end of her bed, upside down, with a frown on her face.

"Good morning!" He offered, taking his satchel off and removing his shoes, nearly tripping over a half full cardboard box in the process. She had yet to get her moving arrangements in order, which meant the place was in a bit of a mid-packing disarray. He got a mild groan in reply, Elle sighing and flopping her arms up over her head.

"Is it?" She grumbled, eyes still tightly closed in spite of the fact the room was still mostly dark. He turned on the light in the kitchen, and she grumbled and rolled over. A quick glance around the now lit space showed a few items floating a few inches off of their respective surfaces that shouldn't have been, including a banana hook and a pair of oven mitts—more things Elle had bought and hadn't had a chance to poof over to the loft yet. It was a testament to a troubled state of mind when Elle started having that kind of influence on her surroundings.

"What's got you waking up on the bottom half of the bed?" Bernard asked, looking in the fridge. Another unhappy noise. He paused, realizing it wasn't a normal bout of the grumps that occasionally came with the grief cycle she was working through. This was somehow different. He scuffed over, socks making odd static against the carpet on his way to Elle, now wrapped up in a snug blanket roll. He sat down on the bed beside her, unsure of where to set his hand when she was so well hidden beneath the mess of comforter. "Elle? Come on, talk to me. Did you sleep last night?"

There was a long pause, and then the blanket bundle shifted and her face peeked out, looking very disgruntled. "I've been awake for two hours already." At least she had been sleeping.

"Okay, I'm glad to hear that. But what's going on, hmm?" He set a hand on what he figured was her shoulder, then frowned himself. "Are you having nightmares again? You had them before, I should've remembered they might come _back—"_

"It's not your fault." So that was it then. There was a slight pause, then she wormed her way a little closer, cuddling against his leg. A hand came out of the blanket bundle to find his, and he realized she was shaking a little.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm right here." He ran a thumb across the back of her hand in a soothing rhythm, realizing that when they were touching, the mental connection got stronger. He could feel her anxiety like an angry, worried thrum flitting about in the back of his mind. It was far from pleasant, and it became quite understandable why her telepathy was reacting like it was.

"I know." There was another pause, and a slight laugh. "I do appreciate you telling me, though. Sometimes I still wake up and think I'm going to wake up _again,_ from this being a dream, in my old place in Seattle. It's nice to be sure you're real."

They fell into a silence, and on a whim Bernard decided to try and send that comforting calm Elle often sent his way, back to her. It seemed to help; her shakes gradually went away, and she eventually opened her eyes.

"There she is."

She smiled.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked, cautiously so as not to upset her again. Her face clouded, and she looked away. "Hey, hey, we don't _have_ to. Just…if you wanted to share it with someone, I'm all ears."

Elle shook her head, and he gave her hand a little squeeze. But before he could try to suggest a change of topic, or something that might help her mood, a single thought came through very clearly between them, and he knew. He could see a glimpse of it, but not from the view he'd had. This was the view through Elle's eyes, of the fight she'd had with Jacqueline.

Clearly, the surprise showed on his face, because Elle caught on and tried to sit up. "Don't say it," she warned, upset. In the kitchen, the sound of a glass rattling against the countertop began.

Bernard sighed as she pulled her hand away, trying to untangle herself from the blankets. "There's nothing for me _to_ say that I haven't already."

"I know. So don't say it again."

"Elle, this is becoming an actual problem. If it's really affecting you so much that you're having nightmares, that—that you're having difficulty controlling your powers, then…"

"Then _what."_ Her words were a challenge, but he didn't bite back. He just gave a little shrug, and sighed.

"Then you really need to fix things with Jacqueline."

Elle gritted her teeth, throwing up her hands in frustration and stomping into the kitchen.

"Listen, just try _talking_ to her—"

A cynical laugh. "Yeah, cause that went so well last time!"

"You really think you're going to say something that stupid again?"

That was a bit more blunt than he'd meant it to be. Then again, he was usually more blunt with everyone, besides Elle. By the look on her face, she clearly didn't appreciate the tone. She crossed her arms, and when she spoke, her voice was low and just a little dangerous.

"Well who knows, when it's me. Right?" She blinked, her eyes smarting a little, and then the brushed past him. "I'm gonna take a shower. See you at work."

"Elle—"

The bathroom door slamming shut was the only reply he got.

' _Elle, come on, just..'_

The mental connection suddenly filled with static, his message drowned out. Okay, now he was a little irritated. He could tell that she wasn't really, truly angry with him—not breakup worthy angry. But he could tell that she seriously didn't want to be around him for a little while, and that was okay. He was pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to keep his temper on the subject, either.

So he put his shoes back on and headed out for the morning, thinking hard about what choices he _did_ have on the matter. If Elle didn't want to face their friend yet, that was fine. But there was nothing stopping him from talking to Jacqueline, and maybe if he could _tell_ Elle for certain that Jacqueline didn't hate her…well.

Maybe the whole situation could move forward.

* * *

Finding the time to visit wasn't that hard. It was still early in the year and Bernard was sure if anything were to happen, Elle would be able to take care of it no problem. She would probably only call him over if it was _really_ serious and even then, she was upset enough that she _would_ avoid him for a bit. If Bernard was honest with himself, Elle was stubborn enough that if a worst-case scenario happened, she would probably wait until she had exhausted every possible solution before calling him. So that would be fine; if she asked for him, Bernard had told Santa to tell her he was running a quick errand—which was true.

All things considered though, if he told Elle about the exact circumstances of his errand, she probably wouldn't react very well to it. After all, there really _was_ nothing stopping him from visiting Jacqueline, which is why he found himself on the surprisingly cozy porch of her family's large home. He knocked on the door loudly and barely had his hands back behind his back before the door opened up.

"Oh! Bernard! Hello! Lovely to see you dear, do come in, it's rather chilly."

"Thanks, Winter," Bernard said, following her in. The season smiled, closing the door gently behind him. That's when Bernard began to notice that something seemed…off? Wrong? Not _right_ , that was for sure.

Maybe his friend could shed some light on what was up.

"Is Jacqueline home?" he asked.

"Have you come to see her?"

"Yes."

"What a relief! Blaise and I are incrediblyconcerned about her," the sprite said, frowning.

"What's wrong with the kid?"

"Well, she told us about what happened with you and Elle, then slept for about a week or two. Since she woke up, she hasn't been herself. She hasn't been freeze drying her hair, like she usually does; she's drinking copious amounts of chocolate milk—more so than usual—and she's been in her pajamas for the most part," Winter finished, entering the kitchen. "I've tried talking to her and so has Blaise but you know, I think that a friend is what she really needs right now, not her parents. You couldn't have come at a better time."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Bernard said, taking a seat at the kitchen table as Winter fussed over him.

"I'll put on some cocoa. Have you eaten yet? We have some biscuits around here somewhere, I'm sure of it—Blaise dear! Blaise! Could you call Jacqueline down? Someone's here to see her."

Blaise turned the corner, coming out of what (if the elf recalled the layout correctly) was their living room. He brightened—quite literally—when he saw the elf.

"Bernard! It is _very_ nice to see you!"

"Winter was just saying the same thing," Bernard replied, mumbling thanks and taking the warm mug of cocoa she offered.

"Do you know where the biscuits are?" Winter asked.

"I think Fiera took them earlier." Blaise said, heading out into the hallway. Bernard happily sipped his drink as Blaise shouted for Jacqueline.

"They're probably gone by now then, drat it. I'm sorry about that, Bernard dear. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"I'm okay, thanks Winter."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"B-Man?"

Bernard glanced at the doorway, smiling. "Hey Jacqueline."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, taking the end seat beside him.

"Came to visit you, of course. You look…"

She held up a hand. "Don't say a word."

"I was gonna say "well rested" but ah, okay."

"Here you go Jacqueline dear, have some cocoa."

"Thanks Mom."

"Just shout if you need anything, I'll be around," Winter said, disappearing into the hallway. A door shut somewhere in the distance; Bernard looked at his friend.

"Sorry to be so blunt, but, wasn't your Mom _thawed_ last time I saw her?"

Jacqueline rubbed her temples, brown hair a mess. "I think so? I can't remember. It's been a really weird year, B-Man."

"We all remember things being...different," Blaise began. "But last Christmas there was an odd shift of sorts. The running explanation is that something happened and, in a quite _recent_ turn of events," the man grinned at Bernard who, oddly, found himself flushing a little. "Whatever happened undid itself. Since we all have some memory of this "thing" happening, we've figured that it should be happening again sometime soon. It's a little wordy, I know, but that's best as I can explain it."

"Thanks Dad," Jacqueline said, head on her hand. "I did _not_ want to explain that."

"Anytime. Now then! I'll let you two chat. I'll be around as well, if you need anything," Blaise finished, leaving the room.

Jacqueline sighed.

"They're just concerned about you."

"I know! I know. It's just…bleh," she finished, shrugging. "What brings you down to my neck of the woods?"

"What do you think?"

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do _anything_! Well, for the most part. Long story or short story?"

"Start with the short one."

"I came to see if you hate Elle."

Jacqueline blinked. "Why would I hate Elle?"

"She's under the impression you do."

"Long story?"

So Bernard told Jacqueline about what had happened after she left Elle's flat. The time fix, the hop back into 2005, all of it. He finally got to the events of that morning, Jacqueline listening intently.

"You know, that's so Elle. Thinking she ruined our friendship." The sprite sighed, staring down into her cocoa. "If our friendship was ruined it was probably my fault."

"Not you too, Jacqueline."

"I haven't stopped _thinking_ about what she said that night. I haven't…" she sighed heavily. "I've spent my whole life being compared to Jack but honestly, I never expected it to come from Elle. I woke up two weeks later and felt…really yucky about it all. I haven't felt like this in a long time, but I guess it just proves that something _did_ happen with the family that's been erased with your whirlwind romance."

"I'm not sure if I should apologize right now, or be offended."

Jacqueline chuckled. "I think whatever it was happens again soon so no need for apologies, B-Man."

"Alright then, I won't apologize," he grinned, grabbing a cookie off of the plate Jacqueline had grabbed during Bernard's talk.

She sighed, backtracking now. "She was right. I _am_ almost just like him. Hey! Don't give me that look, I said _almost_. I…I really should've given her the benefit of the doubt and I shouldn't have tried to steer her _away_ from magic so much. I just…I didn't want to endanger my home, and I didn't want _her_ to be in danger. I'm just…really thrown, you know?"

"Course. You were— _are_ —her best friend. That's the last place you expected a "you're just like Jack" comparison to come from. It would be like if _I_ said that to you."

"Yeah! Exactly!" Jacqueline's smile fell quickly. "I haven't stopped thinking about it, though."

"You're not Jack," Bernard began.

"I know. I wish Elle knew that."

"She does. That's why she's so upset about the whole thing. I told her a thing or two about you and your brother," he said, shrugging. "The fact that she's so reactive whenever I bring it up tells us a lot, though. She misses you; she's afraid you won't want to be her friend anymore. I think having you around would be really helpful for her, so I've been trying to convince her to talk to you—then realized I should probably come by and make sure you were okay and that by setting up a reunion, I wasn't setting up for disaster."

Jacqueline snorted. "Thoughtful of you."

"I try," he replied. "I think it would be nice to have you around while she adjusts. I also don't want to have to "pick a side" or anything like that."

Jacqueline laughed again, nearly choking on her cookie. "I don't think Elle would do that."

"I know. I'm just thinking of the worst possible case scenario."

"That's so Bernard."

"Hey!"

"It is!" She smiled, looking a little tired—but admittedly, a little better than she had when Bernard had first seen her come downstairs. "I thought she would hate me, if anything. That she wouldn't want to be my friend anymore, you know, all things considered."

"So…you _don't_ hate her?"

"I could never hate Elle, B-Man. Never."

* * *

It took Elle a little while to move past her initial anger and frustration. Luckily, Bernard seemed to have read her loud and clear on not wanting to talk, since she didn't run into him at all that day, despite making her usual and thorough rounds.

Actually, come to think of it, that worried her a bit. But since she'd been the one asking for—no, _demanding_ space, she couldn't exactly complain now could she? At any rate, she'd eventually run into Santa, who had informed her that Bernard was out on an errand—though he did seem surprised she didn't know that.

"You not knowing where he is is ironic, considering how you two have been nearly joined at the hip lately," he said with a jovial chuckle. Elle laughed in agreement, but didn't exactly feel his nonchalance. There wasn't anything to do about that morning's argument until Bernard got back, so as she normally did when facing a challenge, she put her hands to work so her mind could process everything. She spent some time with the painting elves, which helped curb a lot of her anger by giving her time to realize Bernard wasn't who she was _really_ angry with, and then more time tinkering around in R and D, rewiring several train cars and replacing circuits in the pantograph to realize that he actually wasn't in the wrong at all.

"Shit," she swore under her breath, burning her finger on a hot wire. She shook off the pain, leaning back against her table to stare up at the balcony level and thinking back on how sharp and unforgiving her tone had become with him. If anyone should be irritated, it was Bernard. She was the one having all the issues about Jacqueline and refusing to fix them, and it was affecting her day to day life at this point. She was just being too stubborn to admit that, and she knew how stubbornness was one of the things Bernard just didn't have patience for (she was an exception a great deal of the time, but she was good at taking things a _little_ too far.) She was, in essence, setting them up for a fight.

And the worst part was, he had been absolutely right. She _did_ need to fix things with Jacqueline. She really missed her best friend! It was unavoidable, as much as she disliked having to admit that given the circumstances. _Why is my ego getting in the way here?_ She wondered, before realizing that it didn't really have to do with her ego, so much as it did that she was afraid to give Jacqueline an opportunity to reject her again—even though Elle herself had been the one to start the fight in the first place.

"I'm such an asshole," she muttered, scowling down at the toy in her hands.

"What's that?" Quentin's voice said, from behind her. She turned quickly, but gave a nonchalant sigh.

"Ah, I said these are so breakable!" She corrected, more loudly. "These plastic parts are _really_ fragile, can we swap them for some kind of metal, or do we have stronger plastic?"

Quentin seemed suspicious but nodded, explaining and pointing her in the right direction. While she was glad the diversion had worked, she'd also just come to the conclusion that she owed Bernard an apology…and maybe Jacqueline too, for that matter.

It was a few hours more before she called it a day, slipping on her jacket and swinging by the market for some milk before walking home—walking, not teleporting, specifically because she wasn't sure if Bernard would be there and didn't want to start a conversation by startling him. She entered her suite carefully, but found the place dark and quiet. Equal parts sad and relieved, she put the milk in the fridge and went to throw on some pajamas and crash on the couch. She hadn't really thought to reach out to Bernard mentally yet, but found herself hesitating. What if her silence had made him angry in turn?

 _Why did she have to worry so much?!_

It was getting exhausting.

She sighed, slouching back against the couch cushions. Were things always going to be this stressful? Was she always going to keep pushing the people she cared about away?

"Elle?" She looked up, sniffing, and it was then that she realized she was crying. Bernard was standing in front of the fireplace, looking worried.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, sounding a little nasally. She rubbed at her nose with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry I snapped at you and…and pushed you away and I'm s-sorry that I haven't been listening to you about Jacqueline!"

"Hey! Whoa, easy there." She hid her face against her knees, feeling the sofa sink down beside her. A hand came to rest on her back, and she leaned sideways against him. "I'm not mad you know," he reassured her, and she nodded, feeling a little better at that news.

"I was just so worried about the idea of seeing Jacqueline again that I couldn't even realize how stupid I was being to feel that way," Elle confessed, sighing in relief when Bernard wrapped an arm around her shoulder and tucked her a bit closer.

"You weren't being stupid," he corrected gently. "You were _afraid_ , afraid that your best friend wasn't going to forgive you for a mistake you made. But Jacqueline isn't stupid either, Elle. You were under a lot of shock and stress in that moment, and that has a great deal to do with what you said. Besides," he added. "You two have had fights before right?"

Elle nodded.

"And you made up after just fine?"

Another nod.

"Well, there you go." His hand paused in its soothing pattern up and down her arm for a moment, then resumed. "And I happen to know from a reliable source that she _definitely_ isn't angry with you. So you've really got nothing to worry about."

"A reliable source?"

His turn to nod. Elle squinted for a moment, then her eyes went wide.

"You went to see her?!"

"I just wanted to make sure my convictions were right!" Bernard held up a hand to calm her. "I didn't want to lie to you, tell you that she wasn't angry and then lead you into a confrontation." He considered something a moment. "And, it probably helps the situation for her to know that you aren't angry, either. She seemed very glad to hear that."

For the second time that day, Elle felt the relief of a weight being lifted off of her conscience. _Jacqueline was glad to hear she wasn't angry either_. Just hearing that made Elle feel at least a thousand times more confident and able to face her friend again. "I'm glad you went, B."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Thanks for looking out for me."

"It's part of my job." He gave her a smile, tapping her on the nose. "I love you, and I want to see you happy—and, to that end, see you surrounded by people who care about you. Jacqueline is definitely one of those people."

"Do you think she'd be willing to see me?"

"I think she'd be glad to. A _little_ apprehensive, maybe, but still glad."

"That makes both of us."

"Keep in mind though, some things about her may be…different."

"Different?" Elle frowned. "Wait. You mean she's frosty?"

"Yeah, something like that. She's not exactly hiding who she is anymore, but she's not frozen like Jack is, either."

"Well I don't expect her to be like Jack anyway at this point…but he kind of is my only frame of reference for what a winter sprite is like." She looked a little embarrassed.

"Hey, that's okay! It's okay. You have a lot to learn still, Elle. Give it some time, you'll pick things up as you go."

"Guess I'm just really feeling my age."

"Being eighteen can't be the worst thing, can it?"

"I'm nineteen this month, and yes. It is when you're living with elves who take a century like it's a year."

"It doesn't _quite_ work like that…"

"Just another thing I don't understand then." Elle sighed, hiding her face in her hands. "I feel like a baby, and what's worse is that I've been acting like one. Fighting with you, ignoring Jacqueline…"

"Listen, you gotta stop judging yourself so harshly. You're allowed to make mistakes." Feeling a different kind of worry, Bernard fixed her with a reassuring look. "And one argument isn't going to break us up after what _we've_ been through, either."

Elle nodded. "Sometimes it's just good to hear you say that."

"And it'll be equally as good for you to hear Jacqueline say she isn't angry, herself."

They decided in as few words as possible that they would try and visit Jacqueline the next day. It would be Elle's first trip to any magical province outside of the Pole, which made it rather exciting (well, if you excluded her brief stint in the Timeless Realm. But given the time shifts and how incorporeal that place had been, it was a little bit of a grey area.)

So Elle got one more night of a rather restless attempt at sleep before rising early to get ready for the visit. She shouldn't have been so stressed after what Bernard had told her, but it wasn't a surprise that she was at this point. She dressed warmly enough for the early February weather, not knowing what the weather was like in Crystal Springs but figuring it safe to be prepared. She was sitting at the kitchen island in a cozy sweater and jeans, frowning thoughtfully over her second cup of coffee when Bernard arrived.

"Get any rest last night?" He asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. The crisp chill of an early Elfsburg morning still hung around the edges of his clothes. Elle hesitated but then shook her head, knowing it was best to be truthful. He didn't seem happy at the news, but he didn't seem surprised either.

"You should really let me know if you're having a hard time sleeping," he told her, digging in the freezer for some waffles before popping them in the toaster.

"Why, so you can come over and lose sleep too?" She shook her head again. "I'm honestly used to missing sleep by now, B. It's no trouble."

He gave her that knowing look again. "So am I. But that doesn't mean you don't need it. Promise me you'll at least send a thought my way if it happens again?"

"I promise," Elle replied grudgingly, and he hummed in approval. "Though hopefully after today, I'll sleep fine."

"I was thinking the same thing." He took the waffles out and topped them, then slid them across the table to her. Elle raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're not the only one who notices when meals get skipped. I've got eyes too. Now eat, will you?"

She couldn't help but smirk at that, giving in and eating her breakfast. Maybe it was better to just let people care about her, rather than fighting it the whole way.

Half an hour later they hightailed it down to the workshop to make a quick set of rounds, then let Santa know they would be making a follow up visit to Bernard's errand together. By the time Bernard was ready to teleport them both in the right direction, Elle's stomach was a fluttery mess of nerves again. Why did going to apologize to her best friend feel like she was meeting a stranger for the first time too? She held his hand probably a little too tightly as they left the Pole, being sure to keep her mind calm as much as she could since the last thing she needed was an embarrassing telepathy mishap.

The first thing Elle noticed as they appeared was that it was _freakishly_ bright outside. She blinked a few times before realizing that the reason it was so bright was because of all the _snow_. They had reappeared on the top of what appeared to be a rather large hill as the sun steadily made its way up, the light making the snow sparkle—and the brightness, well, _freakish_.

"Welcome to the Northern Province of Crystal Springs," Bernard said.

"It's…a lot smaller than I expected. I'm glad I dressed well, though. I had no idea what the weather would be like."

Bernard laughed. "Unpredictable, usually. And this is just a small part of the Northern Province," he began, slowly walking down the hill, still holding her hand tightly. "Which in turn is just a quarter of the continent."

"Continent?" Elle asked, as they walked down a path of packed down snow, a cobblestone street greeting them at the base of the hill.

"Yup. Crystal Springs is a continent. And the name of the capital city. There's four provinces: North, South, East and West. Each of the seasons lives in a specific province, so the weather there is usually attuned to the season taking up residence. The South is very hot—a little too hot, at times, if you ask me. The East is warm-ish, but never too hot and never too cold. The West is similar, but a little on the chillier side with that fall breeze. And the North is snowy until April, usually, though it _does_ melt. I think the hottest it gets here is around twenty degrees Celsius—they're metric here."

"That's pleasant," Elle remarked. "So why the hill?"

"It's the teleportation point in the Northern Province. All the provinces have one, and the city has its own too. I was thinking of bringing us right to the gates, but I thought you might appreciate the short walk a bit more."

"I do," Elle said. "Could definitely use the few extra minutes to pull myself together. And it's a really calming area, which I didn't expect."

"What did you expect?"

"Honestly? I didn't really have expectations. I'm just…trying to stay calm."

Bernard smiled, squeezing her hand once more tried sending calm feelings to her the way she always did to him and everyone else, at times. She looked a little less tense, at least, which was good because they had arrived.

"Here we are," Bernard said, stopping in front of a pair of tall, wrought iron gates. Evergreens bordered either side; behind the gates was a quaint path clear of snow and surrounded by still blooming rose bushes. Then there was the large, ivory house. Or rather, mansion. It was _huge_.

" _That's_ Jacqueline's house? It's _huge_!"

"Frost Mansion is the fancy name. Or Frost Manor. The grounds are _extensive_ , so both terms are usually used interchangeably."

"Do we have to buzz in or something?" Elle asked, peering at the gates.

"Nope. Just give them a moment."

"Them?"

Before Bernard could reply, there was a loud squeak. Elle stepped back and watched as the gates opened inwards, _by themselves_ , with no prompting from the two elves. They stopped with a loud clang and Bernard grabbed her hand again, leading her through the gates.

"Thank you," Bernard said over his shoulder as they passed the threshold.

The gates began closing with a happy sort of squeak. Elle found herself feeling a little rude, so she shouted thanks back as well. The gates squeaked again as they shut behind the two elves.

"Doing okay?" Bernard asked.

"Yeah, I think so. That was a surprise."

"I think you're in for a decent amount of surprises, today."

Elle laughed as they climbed the steps onto the porch. It died in her throat, though, as the reality of the situation hit her once she stared at the looming French doors. A weight made itself comfortable on Elle once again.

 _'Hey, don't worry. It's gonna be okay_ ,' B thought at her mentally, squeezing her hand.

 _'Here's hoping_ ,' she thought back, as Bernard knocked.

* * *

 _Welcome back! It's officially the holiday season again, which means I'm making my best effort at Twelve Days of Updates. I'm kind of making it a thing for this story, hehe. Since last year I've learned to post every few days, so don't expect daily updates, but I definitely have stuff prewritten and ready to post (I just don't want the pressure of sticking to a schedule, you see.)_

 _A big shout-out is due to SafyreSky, the lovely Dani, who wrote this chapter with me! It's been a collaborative effort, and she's been writing the Jacqueline parts (and more) herself. I'm blessed to have her working with me on this one. Part 2 of this is already a thing, so don't fret! It will be posted and you'll get to see all the details of the Jacqueline/Elle reunion very soon. :) Be sure to check out her stories, especially Crystal Springs (which is currently updating) if you'd like to read more of her work!_

 _I really hope you'll all enjoy the fluffy mixture of chapters I have in store for this year! Since the main plot is currently "complete" for the time being (it will return with a bang later) we've got some real nice coupley content coming up for Bernard and Elle. I hope you guys are into that! There will be another, quite big storyline that will eventually happen, but it's a little ways down the road as of yet. Prepare to have your socks knocked off when it happens though!_

 _As usual, I appreciate all the favorites, follows and reviews I get. And since these upcoming chapters are their own little moment, if you have an idea for a fluffy/otp prompt type chapter you would like to see in this story, feel free to shoot me a review! I will definitely credit/shout you out you in that chapter if I use the idea._

 _Hugs!_

 _-Ana_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	31. Chapter 31

_31._

Elle's next surprise came sooner than she thought. A few moments after B had knocked, the door opened and a very broad man appeared, towering over them. He was very square, Elle noted; he had some features she recognized as very familiar—the lines around his eyes, the nose. Right away she would've said that this man was Jacqueline's dad. Except for one small, tiny, detail.

' _Are you sure we have the right house B? He's…he's literally on fire_.'

' _Jacqueline's part heat sprite._ '

"Uncle Blaise, how're you doing today?" Bernard asked, cheeky grin on his face.

"Bernard! My favorite nephew! You're spoiling us, you know. Two visits in a row? I'm flattered," he said. His warm orange eyes flicked towards Elle, and he grinned. Elle could've sworn his hair started to burn a bit taller. "And you must be Elle! A pleasure to finally meet you. Jacqueline's told us all about you!"

Elle paused for a very brief moment before replying. "I see where she gets the hot-headedness from."

Blaise let out a booming laugh, a large grin on his face. "Puns! She has puns! Here, come in you two, it's freezing outside—don't tell my wife I said that," he added, winking as he stood aside and held the door open wide.

"Elle, this is Blaise Frost. Uncle Blaise here is Jacqueline's Dad."

"Wait. Uncle?" she asked, frowning slightly. "So the story you told me about being Jacqueline's cousin was…real?"

"Not quite I'm afraid, but it doesn't mean I don't see him as such," Blaise said. "You as well, Elle."

Elle flushed, shaking the hand Blaise offered. He was _very_ warm. "That's really sweet of you, Mr. Frost."

"Please, call me Blaise! Mr. Frost is so…" he shivered overdramatically. "Professional." He shut the door proper and turned on his heel, making his way into the large foyer. "I'd say "that's my father's name!" but that wasn't the title he usually went by. Come in you two! We just finished breakfast, but there's still some leftovers if you're hungry."

"No thanks Blaise, we just ate," Bernard said, kicking off his shoes.

Elle took hers off and placed them on the rack as well, taking in the spacious foyer as Blaise and Bernard talked. The walls were light blue, the floor a cloudy white marble. A grand staircase was in front of them, also white and blue, leading upstairs; a large chandelier dangled above them, light from the windows upstairs passing through the glass beads, throwing little reflections around the hall. Blaise looked quite out of place in the hall—it was so cool and he was so _warm_. Elle walked further into the hall, taking in the rooms surrounding them. To her left were two closed doors; to her right, a wide open doorway leading into a powder blue sitting room of sorts. Light poured in from the room at the back of the hallway that came into view as she peered around the staircase.

"Shall we head to the kitchen? Winter and Jacqueline are still around, though the Twins have already popped off."

Elle turned around, her heart nearly missing a beat. _Stay calm Elle,_ she thought to herself. _It's going to be fine_. She sought out Bernard's hand, grabbing it tightly. "Of course," she managed to reply.

It was time to make up with her friend.

* * *

When Bernard had knocked on the door, the Frosts had just been finishing breakfast.

The twins had finished, their plates clear sans a few burnt crumbs, and immediately bolted into the sunroom. Jacqueline and Winter had begun to tidy up when Bernard knocked.

"Another guest? We're popular this week," Winter remarked, stacking the dirty plates by the sink.

"I'll go grab it. Maybe it's Elle, eh Jacqueline?"

"Funny Dad. Real funny," she replied, smiling nonetheless as she put the milk back in the fridge, Blaise chuckling as he headed to the door.

"What if it is?"

"Hmm?"

"What if it is Elle? Bernard did come by yesterday and he _did_ say that he would come back with Elle sometime soon."

"I know, Mom. But…the very next day?"

"Perhaps. You never know, dearest."

"I guess." The sprite frowned, leaning against the counter with the half-full carton of chocolate milk in her hands.

"I don't like seeing you like this," Winter said, frowning.

"That makes two of us."

"I had hoped talking with Bernard yesterday would have helped."

"A little bit. It made me feel less yucky but all things considered…" she sighed, drinking from the carton. Blaise's laughter echoed down the hall; he yelled something about puns and Jacqueline paled. "Uh-oh," she said, placing the carton down and standing in the doorway, trying to muster up the courage to peek out into the hallway.

"Whatever is the matter?" Winter asked, placing the plate she had just washed on the drying rack and rushing to Jacqueline's side.

"Puns, Mom. I think he was right, I think it may actually be Elle. Does that sound like Bernard to you?"

"It certainly looks like him," Winter said, peeking out of the doorway herself.

"Is he with someone?"

"Yes! Is that Elle? They make quite the handsome pair."

" _Holy snowballs!_ "

"Jacqueline?"

She backed away from the entrance to the kitchen, nearly tripping and falling into the neighboring sunroom.

"Oh dear, do be careful sweetheart!" Winter said, grabbing Jacqueline's shoulders and steadying her. "Take a breather. It's going to be okay."

"Mom, nothing about this is okay. I look like sleet! I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. She's your friend! She came to see _you_ Jacqueline. She must be here to talk! You won't feel fully better until you talk to Elle herself, you know."

"I know! I know, it's just…oh gods, okay, I _cannot_ face her like this!"

"Jacqueline where are you—don't poof—!"

It was too late. Jacqueline had disappeared in a flurry of blue sparks and snowflakes. Winter sighed, holding her forehead.

* * *

And that is the sight that met the trio as they entered the bright kitchen. It was large and _very_ warm. The counters were blue, the cabinets and cupboards a warm oak. The walls were a yellow shade that actually looked _nice_. Not gross or overtly bright. To Elle's left was an open door leading into a very bright room. She could feel the heat coming out. A quick glance told her it was a sort of conservatory—it was covered in plants, with dainty chairs scattered about. The kitchen was beginning to look like the room beside them; plants were crammed above the cupboards, various vines and foliage trailing down the cupboards. The other side of the room held a large, oak table.

"Winter dear, look who it is! Our lovely nephew! And his belle," Blaise grinned, wandering into the kitchen, the two elves behind him. Elle blushed; Blaise was really full of compliments for the two of them. His smile fell, Elle noticed, when he looked over at the small, pale woman in the kitchen. "Where did she go?" he asked.

"She went to get dressed," Winter replied. Jacqueline's mother, Elle guessed. She had dark hair and pointed features—and was where Jacqueline got a good chunk of her looks from, Elle thought. She looked really delicate, too, and wore a sort of old fashioned dress. Elle couldn't really place the historical style it reminded her of—it seemed to be a mix of different styles from different times.

" _Finally_."

"Blaise!"

"What? She's been in pajamas since January."

"Since _January_?" Elle asked. Had she really upset her friend that badly?

"You must be Ellington!" Winter said, smiling—it was small, Elle noticed, and didn't quite reach her eyes. "A pleasure to meet you at last! I'm Winter, Jacqueline's Mom. Mind the chill," she said, holding out her hand.

Elle gave it a little shake. She was _freezing_ —especially compared to Blaise. "It's nice to meet you too, Winter. I never thought I'd meet a literal season."

Winter laughed. "At least it was me first, and not my sisters," she said winking. "Please, come in! Sit down! Did you two eat? Let me get some placemats. We still have some pancakes left, which is surprising really. I suppose Fino and Fiera will be around for round two later—better have them while they're fresh."

"Really Mrs. Frost, it's okay, we already ate and I don't want to impose—"

"It's best you listen to her Elle," Blaise said, winking.

"And please, call me Winter. I don't think I'm fond of Mrs. Frost, it feels…odd," the season said, plates, napkins, and cutlery appearing on the placemats she set in front of them. "Would you like some cocoa? It's a bit on the cold side out there if you're not me," Winter added, side-eyeing Blaise. He blew her a kiss in response.

"That's very nice of you, thanks Winter," Elle said.

"Her cocoa is almost as good as ours," Bernard added, seated beside Elle.

"You flatter me, Bernard."

"Anything for my favorite Aunt," Bernard said, grinning Elle's way. She narrowed her eyes a bit but smiled nonetheless.

Winter laughed, placing mugs of the warm chocolatey drink in front of them. Satisfied with the spread, she smoothed her skirts back and sat down across from the two elves, head on her folded hands. "I'm happy to see everything worked out for the two of you. I was just telling Jacqueline that the two of you make a very handsome pair."

"Almost as handsome as Winter and myself," Blaise added, kissing the season's head and taking a seat beside her.

As many times as she and Bernard had given out the news that they were together over the past month or so, Elle still found herself blushing in the face of that comment. "Oh! Why thank you, that's kind of you to say," she replied, slightly flustered as a smile crept onto her face. Even just the mention of her and B together filled her with a gentle pride that warmed her to her toes.

"It's a nice change to have someone know right off the bat we're together," Bernard said, tucking into some pancakes. "I've lost count of how many times we've had to give the news out."

Blaise laughed. "If you think that's bad, you should've _seen_ the chaos we caused when I proposed to Winter! We eloped that very night. Broke into City Hall to get a license."

"And then vandalized it," Winter said, sipping her cocoa. Elle nearly choked on hers.

"I always hated that wall I blasted through."

"And those statues that mysteriously froze and shattered."

"Good thing they mysteriously froze and shattered," Blaise said, kissing Winter's cheek. The season laughed.

"You blasted through a wall?" Elle asked. "What did the mayor think of that?"

"The mayor _did_ that," Blaise said, winking. "Though I don't like that title, either. Mother Nature and I both tend to do the "mayor" things. I think it's more like a two-consul kind of thing, you know, like the Romans? Then there's the Assembly to consider—"

"I have a lot of questions," Elle said. She had no idea where to start, really; it was a lot at once and she was still trying hard to not be nervous—especially since she had no idea when her friend would appear (or for that matter, if she _would_ ).

"Well we have a lot of time, I should think," Winter said. "Jacqueline may be a while."

"Oh," Elle said, frowning. "I figured she would have been expecting us."

"Well," Bernard said, mouth full of pancake, "I did tell her we would be coming by soon...I doubt her definition of soon was the very next day. Here, have some bacon, Elle."

"It looks kinda burnt," Elle replied, staring at it.

"ExC _USE_ ME?"

Elle nearly jumped at the new voice that had suddenly shouted at her. Beside her stood two young literally fiery kids—she hadn't even _heard_ them approach. A girl stood with an angry pout, hands on her hips; the boy stood with his hands behind his back, giving his twin—because these had to be Jacqueline's younger twin siblings, Elle recalled her having mentioned them a few times—a quizzical look. They had appeared rather silently. Elle remembered her friend had said that if her siblings were quiet, there was _trouble_ afoot.

"Those bacons are cooked to _perfection_ ," the girl said.

"Well, I'm not really a fan of burnt bacon," Elle replied, shrugging.

The girl gasped. "How _dare_ you!"

The boy meanwhile, had been staring at Elle for a while. He briefly glanced over at Bernard, (who was really enjoying the pancakes), then back at Elle, then grinned. "You're Elle!" He said.

Before Elle could reply, the girl had gasped. "Elle? As in, Jacqueline's friend?"

"Hopefully," Elle replied.

"Hopefully? What do you _mean_ hopefully?"

"I had a bit of a fight with her last time I saw her," Elle said, flushing a bit.

"Does that mean you hate her?" The girl asked.

"Are you gonna talk to her?" The boy asked.

"You can't hate Jacqueline! She's the best sister ever! Even though she's all snowy!"

"Hold on you two," Bernard said, mouth full of bacon now. "That's a lot of questions you're throwing at Elle."

"It is?" The girl asked.

"Oops, sorry," said the boy. "I'm Fino. This is my sister Fiera, and we're Jacqueline's little siblings. It's very nice to meet you, Elle," he finished, sticking out his hand. Fiera did as well.

Giggling, Elle grabbed each hand and shook them at the same time. "Nice to meet you two, too! Jacqueline mentioned you once or twice."

"Did she?! What did she say?!"

"Mostly good things," Elle teased.

"Mostly?"

" _Mostly_ ," Elle winked.

"I'm gonna kick her butt," Fiera said.

"I'd like to see you try," Blaise replied, getting up and moving to stand behind the Twins. He placed a hand on each head and extinguished their hair.

"Hey!"

"It's rude to simmer when you meet someone," Blaise said.

"You do it all the time at City Hall!" Fiera shouted, indignant.

"That's because I'm asserting my dominance, and you don't do that with guests."

"Then why is _your_ hair still lit?" Fino asked.

"Yeah! Set an example!" Fiera added.

Blaise sighed, his hair going out. "Better?"

Fiera nodded, turning back to Elle. "So...do you hate her?"

Elle frowned. "Who, Jacqueline? Absolutely not. She didn't do anything wrong, you see. That was ah, mostly me..." She glanced with worry towards the stairs, sighing quietly. It seemed as though her friend was in full evasion mode—that, or she was making herself too busy to be bothered with Elle's presence. But that was a risk Elle was going to have to take, if she truly wanted to make things right.

"I'm sorry," she said abruptly, "but do you think it would be alright if I went up? I'm beginning to get the feeling that she's not going to come down, and…well, it's on me to make the extra effort here. Besides, maybe she'll be more comfortable in her own space." She hoped that was okay. In spite of how kind Jacqueline's parents were, she still felt a little uncertain since the matter of her friend's parents had always been a bit of an undiscussed mystery and she didn't want to intrude in their home.

"Of course!" Winter said, smiling. "It's up the first flight of stairs, then up the spiral staircase right in front of the upstairs sunroom. Her room is the one on the left. And through the sitting room, of course. The sitting room door should be open, she doesn't usually close it."

"Perfect. Thank you! If you'll excuse me." She was up in a flash, somehow managing not to be clumsy while leaving the table and finding her way to the stairs. Bernard had given her a reassuring smile and a quiet sort of mental _feeling_ that meant he was there if she needed him, and that was as much encouragement as she needed. Together with Blaise and Winter's upbeat attitude, she almost had the gumption to be sure that this would work out alright.

But by the time she was halfway up the spiral staircase Winter had mentioned, her footsteps began to falter. What if she was wrong to be hopeful? Surely Jacqueline had lots of other girlfriends she was close with. She wasn't necessarily _special_ there, and considering the span of Jacquie's lifetime, they hadn't even really been friends _long_.

Oh no, she thought on her way up the rest of the staircase. Oh _no,_ she thought again while going through the sitting room. By the time she got to the room (if she'd indeed _found_ the right door,) she was in a mild state of consternation, torn between her previous small feelings of optimism and the reality of the situation at hand.

Then, realizing again that she was simply overthinking, she took a deep breath and knocked on Jacqueline's door.

* * *

Jacqueline had gotten to her room, taken a deep breath in and put on her regular dress and froze her hair, as she usually did. She stared at her frosty appearance, nodded and left her bathroom, immediately thought _oh no_ and turned back into the bathroom.

"Why did I _freeze dry_ this was so not a good idea!" She moved to pull the ice out of her hair, but stopped, her hand hovering over her head. She sighed at her reflection. "It's how you _like_ to look, Jacqueline," she told herself.

Taking another deep breath, she once again nodded at her appearance and left the bathroom. On the plus side, she felt more herself than she had in a while. Downside? She was still incredibly nervous and couldn't find her usual confidence—and she had hoped that changing into her dress and looking more herself would help her _feel_ more herself. She sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Jacqueline, you are overthinking this. If Elle didn't want to make up with you, she wouldn't have come! It's time to get your sleet together and go _see_ her!"

She began marching across the room to her closed door when a knock stopped her in her tracks. She blinked, thrown off. "Mom? I'm on my way down, don't worry—"

"Uh...it's not your Mom. It's me. Elle. Can I come in?"

Any confidence Jacqueline had mustered up _immediately_ flew out the window, her own insecurities hitting her like a sentient storm as their fight once again sprung into her mind. "Just a second!" She shouted. Panicking, she did what any other person would have done in her position.

She flew under her bed and hid.

"Okay, you can come in now!" Jacqueline said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Elle meanwhile, on the other side of the door, let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Jacqueline knew it was her, and she'd still said _come in._ Okay, she wasn't elfing this up too badly just yet. _Stay calm, Elle,_ she reminded herself, balling her fists before wiping her slightly sweaty palms on her pants and opening the door.

She wasn't exactly sure what she'd been expecting to see when she finally got a look at Jacqueline's room (maybe a whole posse of friends? Maybe a collection of ice sculptures? Not that her friends would be the ice sculptures…oh geez. Even mentally Elle was a mess.) But a room with no Jacqueline in clear sight wasn't on the list of things she'd thought to worry about. She peered around the room, unsure if she was missing something.

"Um, so…not to be rude but…where _are_ you?" Elle asked, unsure if Jacqueline was using some sort of magic to stay out of sight or invisible. She closed the door behind her. "Is it okay if I sit down, or...?"

"Yes, of course! Make yourself at home, _mi casa es tu casa_ and such. Or, well, room, rather." Jacqueline said, cringing. Why did that feel so Jack-like? If she wasn't a little squished under the bed, she would have facepalmed. "The window seat is cozy, I made it that way since it's my reading nook. The two chairs by the closet are nice too." _Why am I rambling so much?_ Jacqueline thought, nearly attempting to facepalm a second time.

Noting that Jacquie hadn't answered _where_ she was exactly, Elle decided to not press the subject for the moment. _You can do this, just...don't say anything stupid_ , she warned herself. Jacqueline sure _sounded_ like she had herself together, even if Elle could feel tension that wasn't her own buzzing in the air. She chose the chairs by the closet, settling in and gripping the armrests a little so that she didn't fidget.

Finally where she'd been so scared to go for what felt like a long time, Elle found herself stumped for where to begin.

"I never answered your question, sorry. I don't mean to be rude I'm just...having a bit of a confidence issue." Jacqueline paused, the silence thick. "I'm...hiding."

"That's okay," Elle replied, immediately feeling relieved that she wasn't the only one not at her best. "I've been hiding a bit too…it took Bernard's intervention for me to realize that I really shouldn't. You on the other hand, have every right to! If you'd like. We are in your house, after all." She was rambling, a little. Oh well. At least she was saying _something._ "Take your time."

She looked down at her hands, realizing how tense she was being. Probably better to relax a little, she'd only make Jacqueline more uncomfortable like this. Elle released her grip on the armrests and folded her hands in her lap, looking around again. Where could Jacqueline be hiding, anyway?

"Thanks, Elle. I just...when we met, I was in a bit of a disguise for the most part, and when you arrived I was still in pajamas and I hadn't...I don't like having my hair natural because it's a _bush_ and it gets real static and in my face and in my _way_ so I... I _freeze dry_ and I figured, when you arrived, that I should probably talk to you the way I _usually_ look but I'm having all of these doubts because— _my brother does it too,_ " she said the last bit very fast. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm terrified of what you'll think when you see me looking all snowy and stuff like him. Which is why I'm...hiding."

Before Elle had a moment to reply, Jacqueline started talking again. "Listen, I'm really sorry for the hiding. And I'm sorry for the things I said last time we were together. They were a little uncalled for. Okay, maybe a _lot_ uncalled for. It's been making me feel real...yucky. You didn't deserve that, Elle, not with everything you were dealing with. It was _stupid_ of me to say some of the stuff I said."

It was a lot to take in with her going a mile a minute, but Elle understood because a lot of the sentiment was the same on her side. Well, minus the frosty bit, but Jacqueline had yet to see her as a fully functioning elf, either.

"I mean, if _anything_ was uncalled for, it was the conclusions I jumped to," Elle said, fidgeting with her sweater in spite of herself. "You were mostly just defending yourself. _I_ started the fight. I drew all sorts of bad conclusions about you, even though I had known _you_ most of my life. That was a real jerk move, on my part. Regardless of what had happened, you deserved better than the way I treated you. And…from what I've been _told…_ the things I said to you were pretty much the worst I could have picked." She found her eyes quite blurry, looking down at her lap. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lashing out at you because I knew who to blame but he wasn't there for me to yell at so…I took out all that betrayal on you." She let out a watery laugh. "Heck, I'm sorry you got roped into my mess in the first place."

"Elle," Jacqueline said, her voice cracking. There was silence for a moment; Elle didn't look up until a pair of blue clad arms were wrapped around her. "I'm _glad_ I got roped into your "mess". If I hadn't, I never would have gotten to meet you! I mean, as soon as I did. I mean, I probably would've met you eventually. What I'm trying to say," she continued, still hugging the elf in a cool embrace, "is stop crying, you nut. It's okay. It's...a bit of a slushy spot for me but it's _okay_. I forgive you. You're my _friend._ And it was a rough time for you, anyway. It's not like I haven't been yelled at because of something Jack did before," Jacqueline finished, letting go of her friend and shrugging. "It's one of the pros of being not only his sister, but also his Legate," she added, sarcastically. "Here," she said, passing Elle a tissue.

Elle was relieved to hear her friend—and she could say _friend_ again, now—actually pardon her mistakes, but along with that relief was an element of surprise. Seeing Jacqueline as she preferred to be and _not_ in a disguise like she'd mentioned being in before was…wild? But also, it felt _right_ somehow, like Elle had always known that she wasn't quite herself before. She took the tissue with a small _thank you_. "If it makes you feel any better, I did take out the rest of it on him myself. He's had some _choice_ pieces of my mind," she offered, then smiled. "And you wear that whole look a _lot_ better than he does, in my opinion."

"Oh geez, thanks Elle. You flatter me," Jacqueline said, grinning and blushing. For a winter sprite, she was very warm—a running theme with _most_ of her family, Elle was realizing. Jacqueline grabbed the tissue box and sat down on the other chair beside her friend, placing the box on the small end table between them. "That means a lot, considering I learnt how to do this _after_ he left," she said, gesturing to all of her. "I'm glad you got to unleash some of that anger directly. I can only _imagine_ what that must've been like. I'd probably kick his butt myself if I ever saw him again," she said, staring off in the distance. "Probably."

"It wasn't pretty, that's for sure. I definitely threw a lot of stuff at him. Almost threw _him,_ at one point. He's lucky I didn't get to even address how what he did affected B or…" she tilted her head, with a terse smile. "Mmm. That would have been less enjoyable." She shook her head. "But I know what you're saying. You have even more reasons than I do to be angry at him. I can only imagine how that must feel."

Jacqueline was silent. "Honestly? Scary. I haven't seen him in like fourteen hundred years. The day he left was _terrifying_. I was only like four-hundred and fifty something, I _think_. Dealing with the repercussions, since he was never around was...awful and it still _is._ I spent my whole life living in his shadow until I left home for a bit. I'm constantly afraid of...afraid that I could turn out just like him," she said, throwing her hands in the air and slouching in the seat. "We already look alike. We're _related_. I'm next in line for his title...I know I'm _not_ him, I've been told enough by Mom and Dad and B-Man. It's just _hard_ to believe that sometimes." Jacqueline's eyes widened, and she flushed. "Geez, I'm sorry Elle I didn't mean to go off like that. What a great way to reacquaint yourself with your best friend, Jacqueline! Nice to see you, love the ears, they suit you! Here's all of my deepest darkest fears and worries for you to know!" She covered her face with her hands, slouching again with a groan.

It was Elle's turn to console her friend. "Listen pal," she said, setting a comforting hand on Jacqueline's back. "We've both been unable to share some of the heavier details of our pasts until now. It's probably pretty natural that the big stuff comes up first, right? Besides, it's…kind of nice to be clued in, to be honest. I don't mind listening. And anyway, my ears can wait. They aren't going anywhere…I hope," she chuckled.

"If your ears disappear I will be the _first_ to track them down; we are _not_ doing that again," Jacqueline teased.

"That makes two of us."

Jacqueline laughed. "Listen, Elle bean. Now that I'm back to my spritely self and you're back to your elfin self, and we both know magic is real and there's no time nonsense keeping me from saying anything, I'm making you a promise. No more secrets between us. You can ask me _literally_ anything and I'll happily answer. If I can. Which, considering my age, would have to be _quite_ the question. Sprite's honor!"

"That sounds like a deal," Elle replied with a grin. It felt good to be on the same page with her friend again—and she made some good points. Neither of them were human anymore (well, Jacqueline hadn't ever been, really) and Elle _wasn't_ crazy—so at some point, Elle was probably going to have a lot of questions. "And I'll definitely be taking you up on that. It's like the more I learn about everything, the more I realize that I'm barely grazing the surface! It'll be nice to have someone to ask when I get confused. Well, besides B, but I don't want to ramble his ear off with everything I'm curious about." She found herself growing eager with the idea of being able to talk to Jacquie like she used to, but about everything _new_ in her life. "Geez, it's nice to just _talk_ with you again. I've missed this."

"B-Man is an expert in many things, but to be honest they're mostly Christmas related. I got that magic sleet down though," Jacqueline winked. "I've missed this too, you know. Just talking. It's not the same with my parents. Or the twins. I missed talking to _you_! It's nice to have an actual best friend," Jacquie finished, smiling.

"It is, isn't it?" Elle tucked her feet up in the chair with her. She flushed a little. "Honestly, when I was on my way up here I was actually worried that maybe you'd already found a replacement for me. You know, as usual, me with the overthinking and all. But I'm glad to hear you've still got room for me." She cleared her throat. "Speaking of your family though, they're super nice? Wow! Kinda sad I didn't know them sooner but definitely happy that I do now."

Jacqueline rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless. "That's so _Elle_ ," she said, tucking her feet under her skirts. "It's not like I'd find a replacement that easily. Or want to, for that matter. You, Ellington, are irreplaceable! Before you try to bat that compliment away, let me just say that if my family was super nice, they think you're irreplaceable too," she smiled. "They are really nice, if a bit too much at times. Mom and Dad are real supportive and the Twins may be my worst nightmare—what with the fire and all—but they're endearing in their own special way. I'm glad you like them! They like you too! Mom thinks you and B-Man make a handsome couple. I mean, she's not wrong, but it was cute to hear her say that when you guys arrived. She paused for a moment, thoughtful. "Y'know, now that you've remembered and are back in your element, our door is _always_ open for you. My Mom will tell you that several more times; Dad even more so. Especially now that you know where it is! You could just poof on in whenever, someone is usually home," she finished with a smile.

"Aw, that's sweet of your mom to say. I think so too." She turned a little pink. "But yes! I'll definitely be up to visit. Probably more than you'd like, just because I miss you."

"Awwh, shucks. You're melting my heart, Elle."

"Don't worry, I'm sure it'll get annoying eventually." She winked. "And anyway, it'll be good teleport practice since I'm still new at the distance element and all. You'll all be sick of me before you know it!"

Jacqueline laughed. "I doubt it. We don't get much company and I can guarantee you that Blaise and Winter will _never_ get sick of fawning over you. You'll probably get sick of us before that can happen! And if you don't come around I'll go see you myself," she added. "Depending on the time of year and who may or may not be at the North Pole, of course."

"That shouldn't be too much of an issue," Elle said with a shrug. "Nobody has seen him around since everything that happened Christmas. It's probably for the best, right now, especially because that means that my _favorite_ Frost can swing by whenever she likes." She brightened a little more. "You can come over to my place! I just got a loft of my own, and this one isn't off limits! I mean, I'm not moved in yet, but I'm working on that."

Jacqueline gasped, her eyes lit with excitement. "Yes! I get to help with the fun part and _not_ the boring part! I need details. Where is it? Is it big? Nicely sized? Have you gotten all the furniture you need yet? Cause if not, in the Southern Province is where the shopping district and malls and big box stores are, since it' so close to the port and all. There's an Elfkea there we could go to! The big Elfkea is in the Pole, though, the one here is pretty small in comparison. We can try out all the couches and beds—that is, if you _want_ to go shopping with your _favorite_ Frost," she finished, waggling her eyebrows.

Elle couldn't help but laugh, feeling relieved that Jacqueline wanted to help. It finally occurred to her that she'd been a bit stressed about a few of the things her friend hadn't mentioned. "It's in Elfsburg, a few blocks from the Workshop overtop a bakery. It's pretty big, for just me! It's also quite open concept, definitely _feels_ like a loft. Has nice windows, too. And while I _have_ had a chance to buy some of the smaller things, I haven't gotten any furniture at all yet. Bernard said there was a few places to buy some, Elfkea" —she laughed— "sounds pretty promising. I really do want comfy couches, and I haven't even been mattress shopping before. I just took one out of family storage last time."

"We are gonna lay on _all_ the mattresses," Jacqueline said, standing up and stretching. "Anyway, I think we've left Bernard with my family for long enough. I'm not too concerned, but I think that _they_ may be concerned about us. Shall we head back down?"

"Sure." Elle nodded, rising and brushing off her pants. "Lead the way?" Not for the first time, she was conscious of the fact that she owed Bernard another _thank you._ He'd been absolutely right; making up with Jacqueline had definitely been the right thing to do. In fact, she hadn't fully realized how _wrong_ she'd been feeling without seeing her friend until she had made things right. She felt more herself again, somehow. It was a good feeling.

"Of course!" The sprite slid out of her room, Elle following close behind. As they headed back down, Jacqueline took it upon herself to give a small tour, pointing out some of her favorite rooms. The second floor was all bedrooms, though Jacqueline mentioned that they had a gallery on that floor as well. Elle could only _imagine_ the portraits and statues they had, all things considered.

Downstairs, Jacqueline excitedly pointed out the ballroom. "I turn it into an ice rink a lot more than I should," she admitted, grinning sheepishly as they turned the corner, heading towards the kitchen at the back of the house.

"You know I appreciate a good ice rink." The two had met on one, in fact. Elle began to wonder if that was planned, and then, all over again, it really dawned on Elle just what Jacqueline was. On a basic level, she'd gotten the picture of course: she was a wintery being like Jack had been—heck, Winter was her _mother._ But it actually hit her at last that her _best friend_ was afrost sprite, and that seemed to blow her mind in a different way. "I can't believe all those years ago, when we met, you were capable of so much more than I realized. What a long term _got you._ " She couldn't help but chuckle.

"I am a sprite of many tricks," Jacqueline said. "I've got snowflakes," she said, wiggling her fingers. A few small snowflakes appeared, gently floating around her finger tips.

"Whoa, nice!" Elle said.

"Snowballs," Jacqueline continued, balling up her fists and bringing them down, a snowball appearing perfectly formed in each hand.

"You're kidding! It's that easy for you?" Elle said, eyes wide with that winter time delight that only a nice soft snowfall can give.

" _That_ easy! I even have icicles!" A flip of her hand and a flick of her wrist and three small icicles appeared between her fingers. "Though I'm not fond of using them for...reasons," she finished, the icicles fast turning to snow in her hands.

"Well that's understandable, though they're still pretty nifty. Nice party tricks, Jacquie," Elle said.

"Party tricks? That was nothing. _This_ is the party trick." Grinning, Jacqueline conjured another snowball. She pursed her lips and blew on it, her face taking on a blue color. With a smirk, she tossed it up in the air; instead of sticking to the ceiling, it dissipated halfway up, snow beginning to fall from above them.

"I'm pretty sure that just about blows the concept of a party trick out of the water!" Elle laughed, suddenly taken with the urge to just lay on the floor and watch the snow fall considering what a unique sight it was.

"What's this about party tricks?" Bernard asked, joining them in the hall. "Ah. Jacqueline's showing off," he grinned, noting the snowfall and the happy expression Elle wore. He was relieved to see her looking more herself again; it looked like things had gone alright between the two of them.

"Only a little! Why are my siblings koala-ing on your arms?"

"We're having a competition," Fino began.

"I told Fino I could hang on for longer!"

At this point, Elle's eyes had wandered back towards the snowfall, a frown taking her face.

"So now I'm proving her wrong!"

"I'm just providing the arms," Bernard said, grinning. He gave them a little shake, both kids falling onto the floor at the same time.

"Snow in the hall? Again?"

"It's just a light flurry, Blaise," Winter chided, joining her husband by the kitchen entrance. She smiled when she saw Jacqueline and Elle standing together in the hallway, Jacqueline looking much more herself and Elle looking less troubled herself.

"At least it's not hail this time," Blaise added.

"That was one time Dad! One time!"

Elle, meanwhile, was quite happy standing in her bit of the hall, giving the atmosphere a gentle nudge with her mind, so to speak, so that the snowflakes landed right on her tongue—saving the hassle of waiting for one forever. She seemed pretty content to snack on the snow like that, occasionally snickering at the family's light banter.

' _You doing alright?'_

"Mhmm!" Elle stopped eating snowflakes, forgetting for a moment that Bernard's comment had been entirely mental. He seemed to take her outward answer as a cue for an actual discussion, however, and a few moments later he was at her side, watching the Frosts' antics bemusedly.

"You do seem less stressed now that you've gotten to actually speak to Jacqueline yourself," he said, keeping the conversation quiet. Elle nodded, taking the opportunity to hug him from the side. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her, kissing her forehead. "Did you two get to talk and work through what you needed to?"

"I definitely am, and yes. You were completely right, B. I needed to get past my fear and deal with the situation, and I'm honestly so glad I did? I've really missed my friend, and it felt really good to get some things out in the open," Elle said, her voice quiet but also slightly muffled against his shoulder.

"I'm glad to hear that. You really had me worried there, for a while."

She looked up, mildly confused. "You were worried?"

"Well yeah, Elle, you had half the stuff in your suite floating around, and you weren't sleeping. I was more than a little concerned about you." He chuckled.

"Oh, good point. I'd almost forgotten about that." In retrospect, she was glad she hadn't set anything in the Frosts' house levitating, what with how anxious she'd been. She felt a tad sheepish at the thought.

"I'm proud of you, you know." He gave her a gentle squeeze, and she couldn't help but smile. "I know how much you had to push to make it here and face Jacqueline, but you did and you made things right. You've done a really important thing here today."

"You really think so?" She felt doubly reassured when she heard it from him.

"Absolutely. You're in a good place with your best friend again, not to mention you've finally met her family. You deserve to have people who care about you in your life, Elle; as many as possible. I want that for you, and you should want it for yourself."

"Aw, B." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "That's a sweet thing to say. Thank you."

Jacqueline, meanwhile, had slid over to her parents while the two elves had their chat.

"I'm glad everything went well," Winter said, over the Twins' bickering.

"That makes two of us," Jacqueline replied.

" _Did_ everything go well?" Blaise asked. Jacqueline nodded. "Excellent!" He grinned, his hair burning a tad brighter. "It's nice to see you being yourself again."

Winter nodded in agreement. "Perhaps we should make ourselves scarce? I think that your siblings have bothered Bernard more than enough today. He and Elle must already be exhausted."

"I'll take care of it," Blaise said. He cleared his throat and squatted down in front of the Twins at eye level now. They immediately stopped their bickering. "How about we solve the matter of if it was a tie or not with a game of fire tag? Or hide and explode?"

Both kids screamed, jumping onto Blaise as he stood up, laughing. "Elle! Bernard! It's been a _pleasure_ , but I have to go referee. Don't be strangers now, you hear?" He winked.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Bernard said with a grin.

Blaise turned on his heal and headed back into the kitchen (Fino and Fiera waving goodbye over his shoulders), the sound of the backyard door sliding open then closed reaching the hall moments later.

Winter sighed, smiling nonetheless. "I suppose I'll have to go fix the yard momentarily. Every time I get the snow just right, the three of them _have_ to ruin it. It was lovely to see you again, Bernard. And very lovely to finally meet you, Elle! I hope we'll see you around often. The door is _always_ open!" Winter finished, giving Elle a tight hug.

"Oh I know we'll be swinging by! I for one have a habit of dropping in on Jacqueline out of the blue," Elle admitted. Something about hugging Winter caused a pang of sadness for her, but she couldn't quite place why, so she let the feeling pass quickly.

Hugging Bernard as well, with one last surprisingly warm smile Winter headed back into the kitchen, humming as she presumably went to go fix the chaos that was bound to occur out back in mere moments, if the games hadn't already begun.

Jacqueline sighed. "I hope my siblings weren't too much today, B-Man," she finished with a small smile.

He shrugged. "I didn't mind. Kids are kids," he said with a smile. "I'm sure my arms will regain feeling eventually."

Jacqueline snorted. "You doing okay, Elle?"

"Terrific, really," Elle began, but ended up cutting herself off with a big yawn. It seemed that now that her tension was gone, her body was keen on reminding her of how much sleep she had missed. Or maybe it had to do with Bernard mentioning it, she wasn't sure.

"She said, yawning," Jacqueline teased. "You look like you could use a sprite sleep, pal."

"If that means a heavy sleep schedule and in this case an early bedtime, absol _utely."_ She rubbed at an eye, blinking away tired pinpoints. "As much as I'm enjoying hanging out, I think I might be better company once I get a decent night's sleep."

Jacqueline laughed. "Close enough, I think. Better get you out of my house before you pass out on the floor and B-Man has to carry you home." The sprite laughed, her cheeks flushed and eyes warm as she headed to the front door. "Although...that would be really cute," she added, waggling her eyebrows.

Elle shushed her friend, then waggled a finger. "You're never gonna stop heckling us, are you?"

" _Never_ ," the sprite replied with a cheeky grin.

Just behind Elle, Bernard rolled his eyes but didn't seem put out by the tease. "Although," She turned to him, "I think you'd better teleport us back too, B. I'm still a little shaky on the long distances, and I assume that's worse when I'm sleepy."

Bernard smiled softly. "Sure thing Elle," he said, fondly. "We wouldn't want you to lose any particles on the way. I think both of us are fond of _all_ of you."

Elle, in the middle of a yawn, stuttered slightly and flushed. "Thanks, I _think."_ She took his hand anyway though. "Shout my way anytime, okay Jacquie? Don't even have to bother with remembering your phone anymore, for the most part, so it's easy."

"A relief because I think it fell behind my bed and honestly, it's probably lost forever. I also have no idea where the charger ended up." She shrugged as the two elves threw on their shoes and coats, getting ready to head back out. "Same to you too, eh Elle? I'm just a thought away! I'm never really doing much of anything," she said, grinning sheepishly and scratching the back of her head, her crazy pile of white curls bouncing around. "And thanks for dragging her over, B-Man. I'm glad you guys have each other."

"I think it's safe to say we're glad, too." Elle couldn't help but smile, tugging on the last sleeve of her coat. "And you'll be hearing from me! We've got plenty to get up to, once I'm back on my feet." She gave her friend a hug, noting the chill and finding it comforting.

Bernard gave a little chuckle. "It was no problem, kid. Take it easy," he said, accepting the sprite's hug.

"Of course, I'm a _master_ of chill. You guys take it easy, too! Now get out of my house and go the frost to bed, Elle," Jacqueline said, grinning as she shooed them out. "And take this one with you! He keeps eating all my food."

"Tell Aunt Winter to stop making such good food, cousin!" Bernard shouted back as they headed down the walkway. Jacqueline's loud laugh was the only response as she waved heartily from the open door, watching them head out the gates.

"Cousin," Elle couldn't help but chuckle drowsily on their way back to where they'd teleported in. "That's never going to stop being funny, no matter how close you are. It's just the whole situation…ah geez." She was too tired to explain the reasons _why,_ but after everything it seemed apparent.

"Don't be jealous, you'll soon be as much of a member of the family as I am."

"I'm not being jealous!" She protested, but couldn't help from smiling. "Yeah, her family's a lot nicer than I expected. I mean, I wasn't expecting anything bad, they're just…really lovely? And her siblings are a riot. Glad I finally get to… get to know them! Whoa. That was a rough sentence." She scowled a little.

Bernard smiled and shook his head, setting an arm about her shoulders. "Let's get you home and into bed, hmm?"

"You're lucky I'm the only one who heard that."

"Look who's cheeky _now."_ He chuckled. "You definitely need some sleep."

"Will you stay?" The question was a little abrupt, and caught Bernard by surprise. "I mean, you know." Elle clearly got a little flustered when tired and put on the spot. "You know. Just in case the nightmares come back. Then I wouldn't have to call you." She was about to take the whole thing back when she heard him make a thoughtful noise, just as they approached the teleportation point.

"Sounds like a good idea, when you put it like that."

"Really?" Her whole face lit up. He smiled.

"Well sure! Besides, if I'm already with you, then you might not have nightmares at _all._ "

"That…that's an even better point." Were they really standing there trying to justify him staying over for the first time? It was a little ridiculous that they thought they needed a reason, Elle realized, or maybe it was just her looking for a reason to convince him.

"You're right."

"Hmm?"

"We really don't need a reason." So he _could_ hear her inner conversation. She might have been embarrassed if it hadn't meant she didn't need to explain. "I mean, I already stayed the night with you back in Seattle, didn't I? It's just the first time since you've moved back to the _Pole_."

"Oh! Of course! Good point." That seemed to ease her mind as she smiled contentedly, leaning against his shoulder. "B?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you again. For everything."

* * *

 _Thus concludes the Jacqueline/Elle redemption arc! You'll definitely get to see them being general best pals throughout future chapters. I'm so glad to have them back on good terms, I just *clenches fist* love their friendship?_

 _Another HUGE thanks to Dani aka SafyreSky for co-authoring this chapter with me! Having you directly write the Jacqueline parts made the dialogue a lot more genuine, to a level I couldn't have achieved on my own. THANK U FOR THE ASSIST ILY_

 _The additional bernelle fluffy chapter will be coming daily until Christmas from here on out! I have them pre-written, but I didn't want to post them until after this chapter went up. For continuity and all, you know the drill. I hope you guys are excited to see what I've got in store!_

 _A big thanks to fangirl0012345, Izzy, Melissa J, BlueRaider1993, and the several Guests that reviewed chapter thirty! Hearing you guys read along and react really motivated me to get these chapters written. Favorites, follows and reviews are always very much appreciated! And ideas are always welcome for future chapters (I will credit you if I use them!)_

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**

 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	32. Chapter 32

_32._

"But I don't _want to go—ow!"_

It was like any other ordinary Tuesday mid-April morning, except Elle was halfway through her second hot drink of the day, _and_ nearly doubled over in pain.

Bernard snatched the cup out of her hand, tossing it into the nearest garbage can by the entrance to the stables. Elle let out a little cry of protest, still holding a hand to her face, and he crossed his arms stubbornly.

"No. Until you agree to go and get that taken care of, no more sweets!"

The elves on shift around them let out a collective gasp. That was no small threat for an elf, it seemed. Elle was appropriately frustrated.

"Listen, B, it's probably not what you think!" Bernard rolled his eyes, heading for the door. She followed along, intent on pleading her case. "Maybe it's just my wisdom teeth or something! I have that sometimes, mine haven't grown in all the way yet…"

"Elle, you have a cavity. You know it, I know it. I don't understand why this is even a game. Just, go and have it seen to!" Bernard replied, exasperated.

"I don't _get_ cavities!"

"What do you mean you don't get cavities, everyone gets cavities."

"Not me! Why do you think Tooth Fairy is so fond of me?"

He frowned. "He's a pretty nice guy to begin with."

"True. But it's also because I have a flawless dental record. I have really good oral hygiene and I've never had braces, or _cavities_! It's just not likely I'd break that streak now."

Bernard sighed, turning to face her so abruptly she almost ran into him. "Look," he said in a low tone, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're an elf now, right?"

"I mean, after everything, I'd certainly hope so."

"Right. And have you even thought that since that's happened, you've been eating a lot more sweets than you used to?"

Elle opened her mouth to argue, then hesitated. "I mean I _guess…"_

"So then it might just make perfect sense that now of all times, you've broken that perfect record of yours?"

Her shoulders sagged a little. "Maybe."

Bernard watched her look down at her shoes, almost as if embarrassed. He slipped an arm around her shoulders, continuing their walk before the elves started staring and thinking they were actually fighting. "I don't like seeing you in pain, Elle. And worst case, you go to have it checked out and you were right! There's nothing wrong. But if _I'm_ right, you'll be glad you got it looked at sooner rather than later. Okay?" She leaned her head onto his shoulder as they headed towards wrapping.

"O _kay."_

" _Thank_ you." He paused. "And I meant what I said. No sweets until you get it seen."

"What! You can't tell me what to do."

He arched an eyebrow and looked over at her. She seemed defiant. "I mean, do you _want_ to make it worse?" He asked.

She scowled a little. "Fine, good point. I'll get an appointment as soon as possible."

He shook his head, smiling and kissing her forehead. "I love you," he reminded her quietly, and she sighed and looked up, smiling back more genuinely.

"Love you too." Once he walked over to examine some packages, she winced again, holding the right side of her jaw. Maybe he really did have a point, since something told her it wasn't her wisdom teeth acting up.

* * *

Not three days later (and after a dearth of sweets that was harshly felt) Elle found herself in the dentists chair, fidgeting with the armrest and trying to stay calm. If the office hadn't been nice and cool, she might have been sweating. She knew it wasn't really something to be so worked up over, but after everything that had been happening to her family (and especially her father) in the original timeline, she was very wary of doctors and doctor's offices, and the dentist fell well enough into that category.

Speaking of, Dr. Hismus has been the one to refer her out to this office, swearing it to be "the best in Elfsburg", especially since it was a favorite of Tooth Fairy's. These reassurances didn't do much for her, for some reason. She felt like a big baby for being so worked up over something that someone else would find mundane, but couldn't really help herself. It felt _scary._ She wished Jacqueline maybe could have been there (since she didn't want B to see her being so anxious, it worried him) but it was too late now, with her already strapped into the chair.

The dentist, a female elf by the name of Dr. Maple, was cheerful but brisk and efficient, which put Elle on edge a touch more for some reason. As much as she was trying to appear at ease, the dentist could clearly read her distress. "It's just a cavity, dear, and it's only in one tooth," she explained after x-rays. "Unfortunately it's gotten pretty bad, and we'll need to perform a root canal to properly remove the decay. Do you have the afternoon free? We can fit you in right now if that's convenient…"

At that point, Elle had tuned out, simply nodding along in her panic (which was probably not a good decision.) She signed the necessary paperwork in a bit of a haze, writing down Bernard's number as an emergency contact and swallowing dryly at the sight of the nurse wheeling in a tray of drills and things. Her feet felt numb, for some reason. Was that a fear reaction?

"We wanted to ask if it would be alright if we put you under," Dr. Maple asked with a comforting smile. "Hismus put a note in your file that considering your mental gifts, it might be better if you were unconscious for the procedure. Does that sound alright? Shouldn't be more than forty minutes, tops."

She nodded—why was she nodding?! She didn't the idea of going under at all. Oh, why had she been so stubborn and wanted to do this all by herself. As a testament to both the doctor's good idea and her distress, the tools on the tray beside her chair started to rattle a little.

"Alright. Just take a few deep breaths," the dentist said, setting the mask over Elle's face. "And the next thing you'll know, you'll be waking up and the worst will be over."

Oh. That sounded nice, when she put it like that. Elle took a deep breath of relief, inhaling the gas, and before she could think to respond, everything went black.

* * *

When she woke up, there were soft voices in the room with her. She felt…oddly numb, around her mouth and specifically on the side the cavity was on… had been on? Why had she been asleep again? She was cold. Why was it so cold in this office?

She finally opened her eyes to find the room a swimming mess of colors, vague blurry shapes that might have been people near the door. She was pretty sure that was Dr….Marple? Marble? She couldn't _think straight._ And the other person seemed to have the shape and colors of a person she knew she cared about. What was his name again?

" _Hey sweetie."_ Wow, it sounded like he was at the bottom of a well. That wasn't normal. But he had… _wow,_ he had a nice smile. She found herself smiling back, her cheeks suddenly very hot.

"Hi," she said, a little shyly, and realized for the first time there was cotton wool in her mouth. He shook his head.

"No no, don't chew, that's gonna make it worse." She made a sorry noise, closing her eyes when she felt his hand on her face. He was _warm._ Why was this room so damn cold? She saw him look mildly concerned and say something to the Doctor again, then nodded. She closed her eyes again, only opening them when she felt a gentle nudge on her arm.

"You ready to go home?" Whoa, she'd just met this guy and he was already trying to take her home? Wild. Wait, that wasn't right—she knew him. Heck. She got caught between a nod and a shake of her head and merely looked like she had water in one of her ears. Why was this so hard. She just wanted t go home and eat marshmallows. They wouldn't hurt, would they?

"Okay, come on." He helped her chair sit up, then looked at her with concern. "Can you walk?" He asked, and she frowned. What a silly question. Of course she could walk! She tried to make a spluttering noise with her lips, but ended up just making a _woosh_ noise around the cotton wool. Her first attempts at rising from the chair went equally well, with her ankle getting caught on the footrest and her blacking out from dizziness when she stood up. Handsome Face Guy seemed to be having none of her antics, and said something she couldn't seem to hear before picking her up out of the chair. She didn't know he could do that, when did he get so strong?

"My coat," she tried to say, but it came out as "mft cttt" instead, and he looked puzzled.

"What's that?" Out of habit, she tried to tell him mentally—only to realize there was complete silence in her head.

For the first time in a good two _years_ , there was _silence_ in her _head._

How inconvenient.

She groaned, pointing towards the rack on the wall where her coat was hung. He brought her close enough to it for her to grab it, and she struggled to take it off the hook for a good few seconds before the nurse helped her remove it. She offered the elf a big smile, and a very muffled "thff fu" as a thank you.

She was pretty sure she fell asleep a little bit on the way home, or Good Eyebrows had poofed them back to her place. Maybe both, the details were definitely fuzzy. The next thing she knew she was being set down on her bed, still hugging her coat close, and that someone was taking her shoes off. She almost kicked before realizing it was him helping her. Oh. That would have been a big mistake.

It was warmer in the flat, which made her feel a bit drowsier—or maybe that was whatever drugs she was coming off of. Either way, the inability to speak to him mentally was really making things difficult, since her mouth didn't want to work properly either. She just felt…kind of miserable. Clearly it showed on her face, cause when he looked up at her he gave her a sympathetic smile.

"You're really having a rough time with the anesthesia, aren't you?" Anesthesia. What did that mean again? He was probably right though. Wasn't he usually right? She nodded, and he came up and sat beside her, wrapping her in a hug. Wow he had good hugs. Good Hug Guy.

"How about, we get you into some pajamas. Then we can get you comfortable, maybe in the living room with a show on. You can rest until this stuff wears off." She nodded again. "Okay. That's the plan." He kissed her head and got up again. After a slight miscommunication, she gave him her coat to put away (she'd confused "put away" with "throw away" and had been very upset at the concept of losing her coat, almost to the point of tears.) Then he pulled out some of her warmer, snugglier pajamas and helped her change, covering his eyes and turning away when she insisted he do so. She did get stuck with both legs in the same pant leg, and had to have some help, and the same was true when she kept trying to put her head into an armhole of her shirt and became very frustrated with the struggle. Eventually she was dressed for bed, fuzzy socks from Jacqueline included, and he helped her walk down the stairs to the living room.

She had bumped into the corner of the wall at one spot and bruised her shin, but didn't cry because it didn't hurt. Then she cried because she realized she couldn't feel her shin to begin with, and at this point, she realized Eyebrows McGee was laughing at her. And then she cried because she hated that she was crying. It was a Bad Time.

After he had reassured her that it was just the situation that was funny and he wasn't laughing at her pain, she was mildly placated and took her place on the couch, bundled up in several blankets. She wanted him to sit with her, it couldn't seem to find the words. The best she could get out was "want to not go?" But it sounded more like "wan to knof do" and he didn't quite seem to catch her meaning. She groaned again, leaning her head back on the couch.

"Don't take that cotton out yet, not for an hour," he warned, and she lolled her head to the left to look at him. Dammit. She was tired of the temporary handicap. "I'm gonna go and grab you some pain meds, okay? Dr. Maple said you should stay on them for the next few days at least."

She nodded, then winced. It seemed that whatever she was on was wearing off at last, at least as far as pain relief went. She still felt incredibly woozy. Dr. Maple. So _that_ was the elf's name.

What was _this_ guy's name again? She got the feeling if he'd known she was calling him "this guy", he wouldn't be happy. Probably not Eyebrows McGee, either. He _mattered_ , and especially to her. Crap. This was such an inconvenience.

He came back with the bottle of pills, reading the instructions. He was so nice to take care of her like this. Elle felt guilty. If she hadn't agreed to be asleep for the appointment, she wouldn't be so loopy. She was being an inconvenience.

He came and sat down beside her, telling her about how many to take each few hours and some other things she missed. It was a few seconds before he realized she was in tears again.

"Oh no. What is it?" He asked, worried again, and that made her even more teary.

"I'm…I'm sorry." She forced the words out correctly.

"What? Why? You don't need to be sorry."

"Should have lis…listened to you. Sooner."

"It's okay. I knew you were scared, even if you weren't acting like it. I'm just sorry I didn't come with you. I didn't even think you might have wanted me there until I got the call from Dr. Maple telling me that you were having an adverse reaction to the laughing gas, and then I knew what I'd done wrong."

"I had a bad…reaction?"

"Yeah, Els. That's why you're so confused. You weren't waking up, cause you're sensitive to the gas and they gave you a little too much because of that. Nobody could have known, since you've never had any sort of serious work done before, but it was actually dangerous. I should have been there." He sounded like he was really upset with himself, but Elle was still out of sorts and stuck on another subject.

"I can't…" she swallowed, her mouth feeling too dry from the cotton wool. "I can't hear you. Upstairs."

"Upstairs?" It took him a moment. "Oh! In your head?"

She nodded, and he frowned.

"Your telepathy isn't working?"

"No." She sounded a bit sullen.

"Are… are you _pouting?_ "

She made a fussy noise, kicking her feet in frustration. "Hard to talk, it wou..would be easier inside."

"Inside?"

"Yeah. You know. _Inside."_

"In our heads?"

" _Yes."_

He snorted. "You're not wrong there." He moved a bit of her hair out of her face, and picked up the glass of water from the coffee table. "Come on, take these real quick and then you can settle down and rest, alright?"

"'Kay." She took the cotton out very carefully and drank the pills down. The water was a little warm, which was gross, but he told her it would hurt her tooth less that way, so she went with it (but not without making a few faces.) Maple had apparently sent them home with extra cotton wool, so Elle got a new piece wedged tightly between her teeth before it was all over. He got up one more time, promising to come right back, and she watched him go into the kitchen to the freezer and pull something out. He came back with a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a hand towel.

"Here," he said, making sure she took it carefully and applied it to the correct side of her face (since she'd said "thank you" and promptly set it in her lap at first.) "Keep that on as much as you can, okay? It will help."

"How long?"

"How long will it help? Or how long do you have to have it on?"

"Yeah."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "About half an hour at a time is just fine," he reassured her. "It will help a lot overall."

"How will I know when…when it's been a half hour?" Elle asked, practically cuddling the bag to her face.

"I'll tell you when. I'm gonna stick around for the evening, if that's alright. Is that alright?"

A nod.

"Gracious of you." He winked, and Elle was very hot again. What a _person._

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"Never mind," she mumbled, "it's a dumb question."

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

She looked up, sheepish. "What's your…" she trailed off with an impatient hand gesture, as if she was finishing the sentence that way somehow.

"What?"

"Your..." Elle insisted, gesturing again and frowning with conviction. "Your…your…your, you know. What people say when they want your attention. Not hey you, the other thing."

He laughed, running a hand over his face. "You mean, my name?"

"Yes!" Her whole face lit up, then she winced. "Ow."

"You've forgotten my name?"

"I've forgotten a _lot_ of things just now. Including the password for the tv shows," she pointed out, frowning at the remote in her hand, then down at the bag. "These veggies are _spicy."_

"I think you mean _cold._ "

"That, too."

He came and sat down beside her, tugging another blanket over his lap. "Bernard," he said, and she felt a happy warmth come over her. Oh _yeah._ Bernard. It felt like everything suddenly made a lot more sense. "My name is Bernard, but you like to call me B."

" _Yeah_ I do," she said, with a little too much enthusiasm, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Okay, easy there." He took the remote and typed the password for her. "How bout I take care of things until you're back on earth. Sound good?"

"Mhmm."

She fell quiet for a while, snuggled against his side and only occasionally moving to shift the bag of peas against her jaw. After a while, she fell asleep again, and he sent the peas back to the freezer so as not to disturb her. She didn't realize, because she hadn't understood what he'd been trying to explain, but he'd actually had quite the scare when he'd gotten that phone call. Dr. Maple had been concerned she'd put Elle into some kind of coma, and was considering calling Dr. Hismus to come and take a look at her condition. But as the emergency contact, Bernard had gotten called first, and while enroute to the dental office (berating himself for sending her there the whole way) Elle had begun to wake up. He knew it wasn't his doing that she'd had a bad reaction to the anesthesia, but he still felt responsible. He knew Elle wouldn't want him to feel that way, and when she was fully herself again, she'd be first to make sure he knew that it wasn't his fault.

She woke up an hour later just for a few moments, pleasantly drowsy. She smiled up at him, one side of her cheek red from where she'd been resting it against his shoulder. "B?" She asked softly, and he immediately looked down, ready for the next mildly crazy thing to come out of her mouth.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for putting up with me. I love you."

He couldn't help but smile at that, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm _not_ putting up with you at all, Elle, because I _love_ you too." She hummed happily at that, closing her eyes again.

By the time she woke up the next morning, the odd way of thinking she'd had the day before had passed. But it had left her with some choice laughs to share over her rather funny nicknames for Bernard, and he seem amused by how much she _hadn't_ been saying as well.

Luckily, Elle didn't need any further work done other than a checkup (for which Bernard insisted on coming along, even though she'd reassured him she'd be fine. "It would put my mind at ease," he'd said, and she couldn't say no to that.)

Her telepathic abilities and their connection was down for a few days, but soon returned in good health and stronger than ever. After that the situation was put to rest, except for an occasional reference to something being "spicy" that was just cold, or Elle calling Bernard one of her bizarre nicknames as a fond gesture.

And as for Bernard, he went to Hismus' office and double checked that a note had been made of her reaction to the anesthesia. He didn't want her to worry, but he also didn't want to be scared like that ever again.

* * *

 _This is just an otp prompt I really wanted to use! Some of the upcoming chapters will be more fun/silly like this, others will be a little more plot relevant. This is the pleasant interlude, after all._

 _I'm still open to requests/prompts for this story! I'll credit you if I use them. Favorites, follows, and comments are always loved and very much appreciated! Thanks to BlueRaider1993, SafyreSky and fangirl0012345 (hi there acthenerd! Thanks for coming over from tumblr buddy) for your comments on the last chapter._

 _Thank you for reading! New update tomorrow._

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	33. Chapter 33

_33._

August was when things really started to pick up around the workshop. The very early letters to Santa started coming in, the finalized toy ratings were produced and the List started being printed for the holiday season. Granted, it would be printed again to create the final version Santa would check twice, but the first printing of the List was always a busy few weeks, according to Bernard.

Elle was rather fascinated with the process. The details on how the chart was digitally printed with every single person's name on it (at least, those who celebrated Christmas) were complicated. Even though Curtis seemed more than eager to explain the inner workings of the Naughty and Nice Center, Elle found that she never quite had enough time to stay to hear it all. All she knew was that from the one that those printers started running, the energy in the workshop kicked up a notch, and in a good way.

Altogether Elle's rounds through the Center didn't usually take her too long, since the whole process was pretty straightforward. However one day during the second week of the month, someone pulled her aside by the sleeve and gave her a copy of a part of the List, citing that she "might want to double check this particular section." The statement had seemed odd, but Elle had nodded and thanked the elf, slipping the folded sheet into her coat pocket.

It wasn't until she'd gotten back to her room that she remembered about it, changing into some pajamas and getting comfortable on the couch with a bit of other paperwork she had to go over before opening the slip. It was a section of the Nice List in particular, she found, and couldn't tell what was wrong with it until her eyes trailed far enough down, and her heart skipped a beat.

Her sister's names.

Annise Connelly sat snugly underneath Dorothy Connelly, like two peas in a pod.

She sat very still for a moment, clutching the sheet of paper a little too tightly before tears stung at her eyes. Why hadn't she thought to check on her family before now? Was she really trying that hard to forget the events of the two Christmases prior that she'd completely neglected to make sure _they_ were alright? How could she do something like that?

In retrospect, she knew it actually wasn't wise to look into her family'a situation too closely. It would just tempt her to reach out to them in some way, or go and check on them. At this point in time, they didn't know her from a stranger, so it would have been _relatively_ safe. But it wasn't a smart risk to take, and she knew that as much as anybody. Keeping that in mind, she swiped at her eyes before giving the list another look and frowning.

Below Dottie's name was the name of a complete stranger. Above Annise's name was the same thing. Had…had she not made the Nice List that year?

Elle counted back. She was nine that year, and she didn't remember doing anything terribly wrong. Then again, perhaps things had changed? Maybe this other Ellington was getting into trouble?

Another, deeper worry snuck into Elle's mind. She pushed it aside, telling herself it was either a mistake or she had somehow ended up on the Naughty List. It wasn't the end of things, young Elle could bounce back the next year—or maybe it would be resolved on the second draft of the List! That was a nice thought, right?

…Right?

For some reason, it wasn't enough to settle her nerves.

"Father Time said you were fine," she reassured herself out loud, already getting dressed again. "He said you were with _them_ ," she continued, as she pulled on her shoes. "Stop _worrying,"_ she chastised herself as she headed back down to the workshop floor. It was the time of year where there was both a day and night shift on the floor, perhaps they'd be able to answer some of her questions.

Felicity, a kind auburn haired elf of about 800 years was in charge of the Center that particular shift. She seemed surprised to see Elle. "I thought you'd gone home already, Miss Elle!" she'd said, moving over a little to make room for the number two elf on the platform. Elle gave her a mildly nervous smile.

"Just Elle is fine, you know," she reminded quietly, casting her eyes around the room to make sure Bernard wasn't around.

"Of course." Felicity looked her over. "Pardon my asking, but is something on your mind? You seem a bit…worried."

"No! Well, yes. Maybe." Elle sighed, pulling out the folded portion of the List from her coat pocket. "Penny from the afternoon shift gave this to me. I…I just wanted to double check something."

Felicity pulled a pair of spectacles down from where they'd been resting on her head. "Well it's not wrong, obviously," she began.

"I didn't think it was. Just… you know. I…" Elle fumbled over her words, not sure how to express her concerns.

"You wanna check the Naughty List too?"

"Yes."

"Okay, can do! Gimme just a minute." She couldn't help but sigh in relief, glad the elf had seemingly understood what she was getting at without her having to fully explain.

Three and a half minutes later according to Elle's antsy counting and Felicity handed her a page or two of the Naughty List from the correct alphabetical section. To Elle's great consternation though, she was frowning.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's just…" she kept flicking back and forth from one page to the other. "Correct me if I'm mistaken, but…"

"I'm not on that List either?"

"Exactly." She passed the papers to Elle, who was already chewing her lip worriedly. Elle scanned the pages, able to quickly tell where her name should have been—where it _wasn't_. Her face fell.

"Oh." She felt her eyes sting a little, and knew to beat a quick retreat. "Thanks Fel, you've been a great help."

"Ah, sure. Miss Elle?" She called after her, but Elle was already hustling off the floor, disappearing in a shower of sparks at the threshold of the hallway. "Oh dear." Felicity sighed, wondering what it all meant and hoping that it didn't spell bad news for the head elves again.

* * *

Elle meanwhile, made it home in one piece, which was a bit of a blessing considering how frazzled her mind currently was. She plunked down in a chair, coat still on while still on the brink of tears. Did this mean that something had gone wrong? Were her suspicions correct? She tossed both sections of the List onto the coffee table and summoned her laptop from the bedroom. It whizzed into her hand at a bit too quick of a speed, again attesting to the fact that she was emotionally awry, and she made a mental note to watch her telepathy until she'd figured all of this out.

She shucked out of her coat for the second time that night, sat down cross legged on the floor, and got to work.

She hadn't been expecting Bernard to come over that night, since they'd both been working late, which gave her more time than she expected. But eventually, some three hours later, Bernard ended up coming in the front door with two takeout bags in hand. He took a look at her in the middle of the living room surrounded by printouts and pens and sticky notes and raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Cryptid research tonight? Thought that was next week."

"It is. I mean, I'm not researching cryptids again, not unless the cryptid is me, which…" she trailed off, looking mildly startled. She wasn't sure if it was the late hour or the idea was really that brilliant. "Maybe the cryptid _is_ me. I'm trying to find myself, after all."

"Okay, that got deep." He held up a bag. "Have you eaten?"

"No, but I'm not hungry. And don't set the bags on the coffee table, please, I'm using it. And I do mean all of it."

"Fair enough." He set the bags down on the kitchen island and dug around, searching for a fork.

"You really brought home food at 11 pm?"

"I mean, I hadn't had dinner yet, and I knew you were still awake." He tapped the side of his head with a finger and shrugged. "Thought why not, since I knew a place that was still open."

"And by a place you mean the Kitchen, right."

He gave a snort. "Alright, back on topic. What do you mean by searching for yourself?"

"I'm not on the List."

" _The_ List?"

"Mhmm."

"You're an elf, of course you aren't."

" _No,"_ Elle replied, mildly exasperated. "Not _me_ me. The me that's a kid." She fell silent for a moment, _too_ silent. "The me that's supposed to be with my family," she explained quietly, hands pausing over the keyboard of her laptop. " _Ellington_ isn't on the List."

"So let me guess," Bernard said, scuffing over in his socks and crashing on the couch behind her with his very late supper. "You couldn't stop thinking about it and you've been combing the internet trying to proof of your own existence."

"Yeah. Like it's a kidnapping, or something. I'm looking for proof of life."

"That's a tad morbid."

"I _feel_ a tad morbid. I was supposed to exist in this timeline, Bernard. So why don't I?" Elle shut her laptop and set it on the table, pulling her legs up to her chest and hugging her knees.

"Well, for starters, there are any number of reasons why you might not be on the List. Secondly, a few hours and a google deep dive isn't going to give you all the answers you need."

"Do you have a _better_ suggestion?" She asked, half deadpan and half hopeful.

"A few, actually. I'm full of them."

"You're full of _it,"_ Elle muttered, running a hand through her hair tiredly, but he could tell it was in good humor.

"Okay, okay. But listen, you should just set the man hunt aside for now, and ask Human Resources to look into it for you. They're trained to do this kind of work, online and such. They can probably get better results."

"To be honest, google search results _really_ aren't what they should be," Elle agreed, then frowned. "I mean, they aren't what I'm used to. What they are in future? Uh…"

"Close enough. I know what you mean."

"Good, cause you're not wrong. I'm spinning my wheels here and it's driving me crazy. I need _answers_."

"You might have to be a little patient for them, but they'll come. And Elle?"

"Hmm?" She lifted her head up off her knees to tilt her head back against the couch and look at him.

"Try not to expect the worst, okay? It's probably not as bad as you think."

"When isn't it though. I'm just being realistic."

"I know. But try optimism on for size, just this once."

Elle groaned, hiding her face in her knees again. "I'll try."

"Good." He set aside his food and got up, stepping carefully into the sea of papers. "Now, can I help you clean up? Cause I'd really like it if you set this aside for now and ate something with me. I brought your favorite noodles?" He pulled out the cute lopsided smile, and Elle couldn't help but smile a little herself.

"Oh, alright."

So she left the search off for the rest of the night, and found herself pleasantly distracted by Bernard's presence and hopeful attitude. Maybe he was right, maybe she was overreacting. Either way, waiting until decent hours to continue her quest for answers was probably the most logical route, and she was mentally worn out. Thanks to him, she got to bed shortly after midnight and didn't work herself into a frenzy.

* * *

In fact, she forgot about her concerns entirely until she was walking out the door for work the next morning. It was then that she spotted the stack of papers under the coffee table with her boots, and the gears in her brain started turning again. Human Resources, Bernard had said. It wasn't a section of the workshop she remembered being in too often, but took a wild guess and assumed that it was in the administrative section of the workshop, near the ELFS and Security Headquarters and Elf Resources, which functioned along the same lines as what Human Resources originally meant.

So she turned her feet there first thing after her morning drink run, saying her usual hellos and such to the girls at the Grille before heading into the main building. It would be second floor, somewhere in the Far East wing if her guesses were correct. She wasn't far off, but the room she was looking for was actually nestled closer to IT and the Electronics department than she'd expected.

There she found a small staff of about four to six elves working busily on some of the newer looking computers that the workshop currently had to offer, which just made Elle grateful for her own laptop from the future. She wondered if they were still using dial-up.

She was greeted by an elf named Henry that came up to about her shoulders and had bright blue eyes, and seemed to run the place. She quickly and rather succinctly explained what she was trying to do, and gave him the select portions of the List as proof. He seemed very intrigued by the concept and promised to have someone on the team look into the matter, and that someone would get back to her before the end of the week.

The problem was, it was only _Tuesday_.

That meant a potential four days of waiting, if the results came slowly.

They didn't come too slowly, though, because as thorough as the Human Resources department was, they too couldn't find any trace of Elle's existence out in the big wide world, and especially not with her family. By Thursday evening, Elle all but knew that there was no kid version of herself living a happy life and growing up alongside her sisters. She just, _wasn't. She didn't exist._

It was when she gave Bernard their report and saw him look grim that she nearly gave up hope.

"There is one more thing we can try, short of asking Father Time some questions," he offered, and Elle perked up.

"What's that?"

"The obvious answer, really. Maybe we actually should have done it first…"

"Done what?"

"Asked Santa. You know, the whole "he sees you when you're sleeping" concept? If anyone can find you, any _other_ version of you, wherever she's hiding, it's him."

It seemed obvious when he put it that way. But Santa was really beginning to be busy considering the time of year, not to mention he was often with Mrs. Claus preparing for the arrival of their baby—which already had him a little on edge. She didn't want to put him on the spot or demand his time or attention when he already had a lot going on. In fact, to her his slight sense of overwhelm was already a lot to take in mentally.

But by a streak of luck, Elle didn't even have to bring it up on her own. Scott figured it out sooner than she expected, from his own checking of the List. He called her into his study, and when he explained to her that she wasn't on either List, she was clearly relieved.

"You knew?" He asked, surprised but at the same time, not really. Bernard knew things because he just _knew_ things, from experience, and Elle knew things because of her prodigious mental gifts; that's part of what made them a good pair as a working team. It also meant that Scott wasn't often surprised to find out his head elves often knew about most things ahead of time.

"Yes," Elle admitted. "I've been looking into it myself for the past week and a half or so. B told me I should ask you about it, but you've had quite the busy schedule, sir, and I didn't want to bother you…"

"Nonsense! This is exactly my kind of business. Kids just disappearing from the Naughty and Nice List is no small thing. But just what did Bernard expect me to do, to clear the matter up?"

"He thought you could use your…you know, Santa vision thing, to see where I am. Where she is, that is."

"Santa vision?"

"You know. 'He sees you when you're sleeping'…"

"Ah, right." Scott cracked his knuckles and leaned back in his chair. "Have you had any luck looking in on your family?"

"Well, the research Human Resources came up with says—"

"No no no. That's not what I meant, I mean mentally. Have you reached out mentally to feel if you're with your family? Can you tell that kind of thing?"

Elle instantly clammed up, fidgeting with her sweater and averting her eyes. "Ah, well, no one's really been encouraging me to get too tangled up with my family's lives at the moment. In fact, quite the opposite. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I haven't tried. And I'm not sure it would be the best idea if I did."

"Okay, that's alright. I'll give it my best shot, and we'll see what comes of it. I'll have an answer for you by dinner time."

"Thanks, Santa."

"No problem, kid." Elle couldn't help but roll her eyes as she turned away. Scott hadn't even met Jacqueline in that timeline yet and he still managed to sound like her by using that nickname. "I saw that," he warned about the eye roll. She couldn't help but give a laughed apology as she left, but her heart was tight and heavy, worries about what Scott would (or perhaps _wouldn't)_ find.

* * *

 _This is a two part chapter! The second half will be up tomorrow._

 _A big huge warm thanks to fangirl0012345, SafyreSky, BlueRaider1993, and especially Sam for the lovely reviews. Sam, your comments honestly made me cry a little. It's such a treat to hear from someone who has been keeping up with this story for a long time and has journeyed with it. Thank you for continuing to come back each year and reread Elle's story. It honestly means the world to me that you like her and this tale—since I have spent such a tremendous amount of time and energy on it. It's reviews like yours that keep me going and inspired to continue. Hugs to you pal._

 _Thank you all for reading! Favorites, follows and comments are always the highlight of my day. And if you have ideas you'd like to see in future chapters, let me know! I'll credit you if I use them._

 _I hope you're all having a lovely holiday season!_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	34. Chapter 34

_34._

As it would so happen, Bernard ended up getting the news first. When Elle walked into Santa's study a few days later, it was clear from both of their faces that something had gone wrong. But it was the flash of panic and concern from Bernard's side of the Bond that told her _what_ the something was, and she immediately knew that her prospects were not good.

"No luck?" she asked, and Santa sighed, Bernard frowning and giving a dejected shrug. She nodded. "I mean at this point, I can't exactly say I'm surprised. All the evidence was already pointing in the direction of me not existing. You know, _again,"_ she said with a slight laugh.

"I'm sorry to be the one to give you that news, Elle. I really feel terrible," Santa apologized, and Elle waved him off a little.

"With all due respect sir, I did _ask_ you to look into this for me. It's not your fault: I _wanted_ to know."

Santa nodded, still solemn. He paced over to the balcony, looking out from the open doors at the snow falling over Elfsburg. "I think it would be wise for you—possibly you _two_ —to call up Father Time and check to see if he knows anything about this," Scott suggested, and Bernard immediately straightened up.

"He has a good point. Father Time did tell you that you should be fine in this timeline. If something has changed, he's the one who should know about it."

"Do you think he might know why? Why this happened?"

"It's definitely possible, not to mention he's probably the only one who can explain it properly."

"Well that sounds good enough to me," Elle admitted, putting her hands in her pockets. "How do we contact him?"

"Good question." Santa drummed his fingers on his stomach thoughtfully before snapping and pointing at her. "Maybe we don't have to! We've got a Quarterly Conference coming up sometime within the next three weeks, whenever Mother Nature decides to call us together. Could get some answers then—though, I doubt the meeting will be held here."

"Usually the Holiday Conference is," Bernard explained, "So Santa doesn't have to leave the Pole during Christmas time."

Elle nodded.

Scott went over to his desk, picked up what looked like a planner or address book and flipped through it. "We really should have a more reliable way of contacting each other. Waiting for something drastic to happen is just bad planning! And Father Time is usually the hardest to get ahold of." He looked up and saw both Elle and Bernard looking behind him, clearly startled. "What? What is…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "He's right behind me, isn't he?"

"Indeed." Scott turned and found the Legend leaning on his staff, an amused look on his face. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? I hope it's been a good eight months for you all," he said, casting his gaze over the elves and seeming satisfied with what he saw.

"Yeah, it's been fine! Busy, with the baby on it's way, but overall a good year so far." Scott looked over at Elle, a slight wrinkle appearing between his eyebrows. "That is, until the List started being printed, and Elle wasn't on it."

"Neither part?"

"We've definitely checked both. Twice, in fact."

"Hmm. That _is_ a development."

"And we haven't been able to find any proof I exist, out there," Elle added in, peering around Scott. "Which kind of has me expecting the worst, you know?"

"Elle told me that you said she is supposed to be with her family, right now," Bernard said. "Or at least, the younger version of herself is. So what's gone wrong? Have you noticed anything?"

"Not anything out of place, no," Father Time replied slowly, "although, when I think about it, perhaps that's exactly what's wrong."

"Excuse me?"

"May I sit?" Scott nodded, gesturing to one of the plush armchairs in the room. "Thank you. Now," he said, taking a seat and adjusting his robes accordingly. "The way things seemed to me before, the timeline we are in now was supposed to be separate from the original one from whence we came. Mainly, of course, due to Jack's negligent use of the Watch's properties." At that, he drew the object out of his pocket. Just seeing it made Elle visibly tense up, taking a slight step backwards and bumping into Bernard.

' _S'okay, Elle. I'm right here,'_ came Bernard's voice, and she reached for his hand.

' _Thanks, B. I just…I don't like being around that thing.'_

' _I know. It puts me on edge too.'_

"It's quite alright," Father Time reassured her, turning the Watch over in his palm. "In my hands, this Watch will bring you no harm. But it is notable that I found it functional again, some time ago."

"I thought that was impossible. You said it was all but useless, after what happened."

"Because it had been cut off from the original timeline. Which, now that I take a moment to think about it, means only one thing. If it's working again…"

"Then we've gone back to the original timeline," Elle said, her stomach dropping a little.

"Precisely. And if you'll recall, before this Watch was ever used, you signed a contract that bartered your life, for that of your father's. If things are as they seem, that timeline—where you never existed—is the one we're currently in now. Only now, you're seeing the effect of your nonexistence firsthand."

"I see." Elle nodded, and felt Bernard give her a comforting squeeze. "It's okay, it's actually kind of what I suspected when I saw my name wasn't on the List. But thank you, for coming to clear that up for us. It's nice to know one way or the other."

You're very welcome," said Father Time, "and that's a very gracious way of taking that news. I'm sure it can't be pleasant to hear."

"At least I got what I bargained for, eh?" She gave a little shrug, letting go of Bernard's hand. "If you'll all excuse me, I…I think I need a little air." Scott nodded, as did Father Time, and she beat a hasty retreat from the room.

Santa looked at Bernard, who had been watching Elle leave with a concerned expression on his face. _Go after her,_ he mouthed at the elf, and Bernard sprung into action, excusing himself and hustling out. The news had taken him by surprise as well. Doubly so, in fact, because it occurred to him that not only had Elle once more been written out of existence, but it also meant that her chance to see her family again, someday, in the _future…_ was gone too.

He caught up with her on a walkway overlooking the Square, where she was leaning on the railing looking down at the elves going about their business below. It was clear that she'd been crying, but she seemed to have stayed calm for the most part.

"The world just keeps on going," she said, looking down at her hands with a slight laugh. "Doesn't really matter if I exist or not, everyone is fine without me." He knew she was talking about her family, and could only imagine how much that must hurt to have that little bit of hope she'd had yanked away so soon.

"Not everyone." He knew he didn't need to lecture her on how many people she had, right here in the Pole and in the magical world, even, who cared about her. She was just hurting, and feeling hopeless. He just hated that there wasn't a way he could help make it alright.

So instead he pulled her in for a hug. She didn't resist, tucking her cheek against his shoulder and trying not to burst into tears right then and there. She thought she had come to terms with all the decisions she'd made in the past. But in that moment, she felt like every decision she'd made was wrong, even if she'd had no other choice.

"It's gonna be okay," he said, and immediately regretted it. Why did that feel so callous to say? But Elle didn't seem to mind. She only nodded, and proceeded to ask if he'd check with Scott to see if she could have the rest of the day off.

"I don't want to spread this feeling to everyone else," she explained, and he was quick to reassure her that he'd say yes, and to go ahead and go home. "I'm not going to stick around here much longer today, I'll be over soon," he told her, and she nodded. "Call Jacqueline over if you need to, okay? I don't want you being alone, unless that's what you want."

"I…I don't really know _what_ I want right now, B." _Other than what I can't have,_ she thought but didn't say. Still, she saw his face grow a little more serious and he nodded, pulling her close again.

After a few more hugs and reassurances, Bernard returned to Scott's office to find that Father Time had left. Seeing Bernard's surprise, Santa shrugged. "He's a busy guy too, I suppose."

"Comes with the job." Bernard put his hands in his pockets, staring at the chair the Legend had been sitting in. "Although sometimes I get the feeling he doesn't like staying in one place for too long. _Time stops for no man,_ and all."

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Scott looked up, mildly confused by his own lack of focus. "Elle. Do you think she's going to take this okay in the long run? I don't even know what I would do, if I was in her shoes."

"Elle's been through more of this than most. Like she said, she wasn't exactly surprised, but I don't think that means it hurts less."

"I wouldn't expect it to."

"It might take some time, but…" He sighed, feeling the sadness weighing heavily on the other side of the mental connection he and Elle shared. It also felt reserved, as if she were trying to hold it back from him. Typical Elle, really. "I hope she'll bounce back."

* * *

Bouncing back wasn't in the cards right away, though. As much as Elle wanted to go home and pretend that she was okay with everything she'd just learned, it really wasn't possible. No sooner had she gotten back to her suite that she'd sunk down against her door and pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to steady her breathing before she burst into tears again.

It didn't work.

The truth was, as much as she'd been pretending she was fine over the past eight months, she _missed_ her family. Every time she saw Santa with Carol and Charlie, she was reminded of it. When she saw the Claus' getting ready for Buddy's arrival, she felt it. And most of all, she noticed the ache when she went to see Jacqueline and saw how lovely her family was. It didn't keep her away, of course; something about having _a_ family in her life wasn't as sad as having no one. But maybe Santa had been right. Maybe she _should_ have checked in on her family sooner. Then this wouldn't hurt so much.

Besides, she was being a baby. She'd signed away her place, her very existence with her family, to save her father's life. _She_ had made that choice, no one else. So why did it hurt so much now?

Maybe it was because the false hope she'd been given had been yanked away so much sooner than she'd expected.

Eventually she got up, swiping tears away with the palms of her hands and going to splash cold water over her red face. A look in the mirror above this sink showed a version of herself that she didn't like to see, one almost completely hopeless. With that feeling, came a feeling of exhaustion. She felt emotionally drained, and even though she knew that Bernard had suggested she invite Jacqueline over, she didn't even have the mental or emotional strength to explain to her friend what had happened. So instead she pulled herself through her evening routine like a zombie, climbing into bed and shutting off the lights much earlier than she normally would.

Falling asleep easily wasn't what she'd been expecting, but the sort of emptiness in her heart seemed to suggest being unconscious was better. She was out within minutes, in a dreamless sleep from which she woke from around 2:30 am, wide awake. A sort of clarity had settled over her, and the need for companionship. A quick glance at her phone showed a voicemail from Bernard, who had apparently tried to reach her mentally while she'd been asleep without luck. Despite his best efforts, he was needed all night at the Workshop, but told her not to worry and that he'd be over first thing in the morning. She could tell by how many extra times he told her he loved her that he felt terrible about it, and was worried but trying not to show so. She sighed, flopping back against her pillow.

Maybe she should take his advice about not being alone.

* * *

It was a bit of a risk teleporting over such a long distance, especially when the exact location of Crystal Springs wasn't clear in her mind. But she was sure of where Frost Mansion was _in_ Crystal Springs, and where Jacqueline's room was in the Mansion, so she felt like it would probably be safe enough (considering that she was teleporting when so upset, which was a bad enough idea. Bernard probably would have been hard pressed to not yell at her for this stunt, if he'd known about it.)

But her aim wasn't half bad. She landed with all her particles in order, but did end up smacking into something hard and unforgiving with her shins on the way down from planting a bad landing. She let out a hiss of air between her teeth, fresh tears welling in her eyes. She really didn't need this right now.

"Wha..?" A sleepy voice said, and the bedclothes rustled. "Who's there? Fino? Fiera?"

"N…no. It's me." Elle sounded more uncertain than she meant to, but she'd suddenly realized how odd it was for her to be teleporting right into the Frosts' home im the dead middle of the night without invitation.

"Elle?" The blankets rustled again, and then a lamp on the side table flicked on. A…someone? Was in Jacqueline's bed. Someone with a mess of dark hair.

"Jacquie?" Elle frowned slightly in confusion.

"Um, yeah I'm pretty sure." Jacqueline offered a sleepy grin. "You came to see me, and you're asking who I am? You really must be out of sorts."

"No, it's just…" Elle glanced at her friend's hair, still rubbing at her own shin. "You're a brunette?"

"What? Oh!" A hand went to her hair, self consciously. The sprite flushed. "You haven't seen me without my hair freeze dried, have you?"

"Or blonde," Elle pointed out, setting her leg down.

"Right."

"It's nice though. I like it."

"Oh! Well thanks, pal." She seemed more comfortable after that, sitting up a little more and patting the bed beside her. Elle sat down gingerly, not quite making eye contact. "Hope you don't mind me asking, but how'd you get here?"

"Teleported."

"Last I heard, you weren't comfortable with teleporting long distances—specifically not outside the Pole."

Elle shrugged. "Figured I gotta try sometime." She looked down at her hands, hardly moving at all. Even her breathing seemed shallow.

"What's up?" Jacqueline asked, but her words were concerned rather than careless. She scooted a little closer. "You seem really upset. Has something gone wrong? Don't tell me you and Bernard are having troubles again."

"No. No, we're just fine. Don't worry." Elle could have sworn Jacqueline let out a slight sigh of relief.

"That's good. But then what's brought you to my neck of the woods at…" She looked at the clock on the wall. "3 am? Roughly?"

"I should have come over earlier, at a more civil hour," Elle apologized. "I thought I wanted to be alone, but…I really don't. Not right now…not…" she fell silent.

"Elle, please tell me what's going on. You're starting to scare me a little. What's got you in this mood? I haven't seen you looking this broken up in years."

"It's my family," Elle blurted out, and immediately felt a lump forming in her throat.

"Oh no. Are they alright?" Jacqueline asked, sitting bit upright.

"They're fine. It's just…" Elle pressed a knuckle against one of her eyes, trying to force back tears. "You might not know this, since we haven't exactly talked about the finer details of what being here—being at the Pole, being an elf— cost me. But part of the deal was that I wasn't going to be able to see my parents or any of my family until we caught up with the exact day and time we left."

"In the future? In Seattle?"

She nodded.

"You said _wasn't,_ though. Meaning something's changed. What's changed?"

"I wasn't on the List."

"The Naughty or Nice List?"

Another nod. "And there was supposed to be a version of me as a kid, with them right now. Only Human Resources looked into it, and Santa too, and…"

"And?"

"…and I don't exist, Jacquie." Elle looked at her best friend with a shattered expression. "Nowhere, not with them or anywhere else. I was never born, there's no Ellington Connelly at all. They don't even know I exist, and they don't even know to miss me…" at this point, her throat grew too tight to keep talking. She covered her face with her hands, trying to hide the ugly face she was making in an effort not to burst into sobs.

"Elle…" Jacqueline didn't know what to say for a moment, completely stunned. She wanted to argue that this couldn't be possible, that it must be a misunderstanding. But she also knew that Elle wouldn't have showed up like this based on a theory, or a whim. Not in this condition, anyway.

The next moment Elle was wrapped up in a hug. She leaned into her friend, trying to stay quiet with her crying because she didn't want to wake anyone else up. She was already being a nuisance enough.

"Now you stop that." She looked up, surprised, to see Jacqueline wearing a face very similar to the one Bernard gave her when he overheard a negative thought from her that he _especially_ didn't like. "You're not being a nuisance, far from it. And you have every right to cry. Elle, I'm…I'm so sorry. I had no idea this was even _possible_ for you." Jacqueline seemed a little teary too, which made her feel a little more justified in her own crying.

"I did." She sniffed, sitting up a little. Jacqueline reached into the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a box of tissues, passing them to her. "Back when I first became an elf, before any of the time problems happened, I signed away my life to save my dad's. That meant that I would have never existed—just like this. The weeks after I did that were some of the hardest I've ever had in my life—in either timeline." She blew her nose, then continued. "When we made it here, I wouldn't have expected anything to be different from that, except Father Time said that with the way things were…"

"There was a version of you growing up with your family, right now," Jacqueline finished, waiting to have her theory confirmed. When Elle nodded, she let out a long sigh. "Sheesh."

"Something like that." They sat in a sad silence for a moment before Jacqueline drew a breath and made to get up.

"You wait here, okay?" she said, holding up a hand as she slipped on a pair of slippers and grabbed a light blue robe. "I'll be back faster than you can say _flash freeze_." In a poof of blue light and snowflakes she was gone, to where, Elle didn't know. In the meantime, she grabbed several of the extra blankets Jacqueline had around the room and bundled up, a bit chilled by the temperature of the third floor (and at night, to boot.)

She returned a few minutes later, carrying cocoa and cookies with her. She seemed glad to see Elle had bundled up, passing her a warm mug with a small smile.

"I can only imagine how you must be feeling."

Elle sighed, then took a deep breath of the steam coming off her drink. "I mean, I really shouldn't be _surprised_ —"

"Nonsense," Jacqueline interjected firmly. "You're allowed to feel however you need to. There's no _right_ way to feel about losing your _family_ , for goodness sakes."

"Thanks." Elle did feel relieved by that, for some reason. Maybe she'd been making herself feel worse more than she'd realized. "I dunno. I mean, Bernard made a very good point that even though I've ended up losing my family in the end, I have tons of people who care about me here. And I know that! I really do. It's just…" she looked down into her cocoa at the little marshmallows floating around.

"It's just what?" Jacqueline prompted, crunching quietly on an Oreo.

"It's just, nobody even remembers me out there, right? Nobody misses me. So when B says I have people here, that doesn't really make me feel better because...if I didn't exist here either, those people wouldn't know to miss me, would they?"

"Oh, Elle."

"I know! I know, it's a little ridiculous. But this whole situation has me feeling really existential. I don't know how to process it all."

"Elle, listen," said Jacqueline, setting a hand on Elle's blanket covered knee. "I can see what you're saying—how we all wouldn't remember you if this had _completely_ erased you. But I think, even if it had, we'd all still know you were missing, _somehow._ I believe that, if you weren't here, some part of us would know that someone important just… _wasn't_ , anymore."

That made Elle tear up again. "You really think so?"

"I _know_ so." Jacqueline smiled. "You're one unforgettable cookie, Elle Connelly."

Elle smiled for the first time since she'd arrived, and seemed to be calmed by Jacqueline's statement. "Thanks, Jacquie. That…that means a lot to me."

"It's just the truth, kid." She was glad to see her friend looking a little less hopeless. Her heart hurt for Elle, who after everything it seemed still had to lose something so important to her. "Besides, you should know by now that B-Man is usually always right! When he says there are many people who care about you, well…" she grinned. " I know he's speaking for himself, but he also means Santa and Mrs. Claus, and all the elves, and me and my family as well. You're always welcome here— at _any_ hour, clearly." The sprite winked. It had been some time by now, nearing 4:30 in the morning, and outside the sky was just barely beginning to turn a shade of very deep blue.

"I really appreciate it. And I probably will be around more, just cause." Elle gave a little shrug. "Something about being around you and your family kind of makes me forget about what I'm missing."

"I'm glad! We're always happy to have you. It's totally chill for you to drop by whenever you're in the mood for some family shenanigans."

Elle nodded, still smiling softly as she looked down at her now empty cup. Somewhere in her mind, she felt a gentle tug, as if someone was trying to catch her attention.

' _Elle?'_ The connection to bernard thrummed with a tired, concerned vibration.

' _Hey B.'_

' _What's up? You aren't at home.'_

' _Are you?'_ She asked, frowning a little.

' _Yeah, I came by to catch a few hours of sleep with you before we're both needed at the Workshop in the morning.'_

"Something wrong?" Jacqueline asked, seeing the elf looking vaguely distracted.

"No! It's just Bernard, he finally made it home to check on me…"

"Had to pull an all-nighter, huh?"

"Yeah." She turned inward for a moment. ' _Don't worry, I just went to see Jacqueline.'_ She felt his concern wane a little bit.

' _Good! I was a little worried you'd gone…somewhere else.'_ A pause, and Elle realized he'd thought she'd gone to check on her family, but she chose not to comment on it. ' _You're welcome to stay there as long as you'd like, okay? I did tell Santa that you might not be in tomorrow.'_

' _That was sweet of you.'_

' _I didn't want you to feel rushed to put on a happy face. You deserve to take the time you need to process this.'_

Jacqueline was smirking. "You wanna head back to your place? It seems like your mind is somewhere else right now."

"Sorry, Jacquie, I didn't mean to get distracted."

"It's okay! You probably need your boo more that you need more of my advice right now." She stretched, offering a hand to take Elle's cup. "Besides, you didn't exactly get a full night's sleep did you?"

"Neither did you. Sorry about that," Elle added sheepishly.

"No biggie! I'd already gotten most of a good long night before you arrived."

"Thank you again, for listening to me, for the snacks, for everything. It means a lot to me."

"Of course," Jacqueline said, a little more seriously. She set a hand on Elle's shoulder. "You're my best friend, I'm here for you. Good times _and_ bad."

* * *

Elle headed home shortly afterward, her thoughts turned toward Bernard. She hadn't had the wherewithal to put his mind at ease before; she'd been too upset herself. She knew how much he worried about her any time something like this happened. He was always so understanding, but she knew he felt bad that he couldn't fix it for her. She didn't want him to feel that sort of guilt. There was nothing _anyone_ could do about this.

She arrived in her suite, padding into her room to find another lump on the other side of her bed. "B?" She asked softly, setting a hand on where his shoulder should be. The lump stirred, a pair of sleepy brown eyes looking up at her. "You waited for me?"

"Was kind of hoping you might come back," he said with a sideways little smile, before sobering up a bit. He reached out a hand and set it on her arm. "How are you doing, hmm?"

It was a loaded question. Instead of answering right away, Elle crawled over him to the other side of the bed and snuggled close, taking his hand. "Jacqueline helped me sort through some of my thoughts on everything," she explained quietly, and he nodded, kissing her forehead.

"I'm glad to hear that. Jacqueline usually gives good advice, it's part of why I was hoping you'd have her around tonight."

"She really did know what I needed to hear." Elle sighed and closed her eyes. "It just tears me apart that I can't _fix_ anything. That there's nothing I can _do."_

"I know. I feel the same way," Bernard admitted, giving her hand a squeeze. "I can't come in and make things right, like I could last time. I _want_ to make this better for you, Elle. I don't want to you to have to hurt like this." She could've sworn his voice broke a little, but maybe that was just because he was tired. She hugged him tightly anyway.

"It's not _so_ bad. I knew to expect the worst."

' _You can't hide it from me.'_ His voice came through, and with it a feeling of sadness that mirrored her own. _'When you feel sad, I feel it too—all of it. It's how the Bond works. I don't mind, I've learned to separate myself from it a little. At least enough to make it bearable. But it means I know just how deep this wound goes.'_

How could she have forgotten that? She immediately felt a resolve to let her pain go, since he had to bear it with her. She knew it wouldn't happen overnight, but at least she had a good motivation to let go of the past.

' _I'm sorry. I'd forgotten.'_

' _I'm not. Because sometimes I worry you'd let yourself hurt forever, if someone didn't know to remind you that everything isn't your fault.'_

"It's not _our_ fault, either," she said, aloud, just to make it feel a little more absolute.

"I know."

"And it's not our job to fix it. Not yours, not mine."

Elle felt him nod, and cuddled her head under his chin. "I'm gonna be okay, B," she reassured him. "And I'm not going anywhere. It just…it might take me a little while to let it all go."

"I'll be here with you, the whole time."

"Promise?"

" _Promise_."

* * *

 _So this is a bit of a sad chapter. We see the end of Elle's hopes to see her family again, and a return to that sacrifice she made earlier in the story. It's a bit of a dark theme, but one that needed to be touched on again before I moved on._

 _Thank you again Dani (SafyreSky) for letting me use Jacqueline on my own once again! While I can't always write her with the effortless air that you're able to write your own creation, I tried my best. It's been a while though, I may have been a bit rusty (apologies if I messed up in any way! I can spruce things up if you find it needs it.)_

 _The next chapter will be a bit fluffier! A little more hurt/comfort, but definitely fun. I can't wait to share it with you guys!_

 _A big rousing thanks to SafyreSky, BlueRaider1993, and LoveFiction2017 for your reviews of the previous chapter! I appreciate you all sticking with me through this holiday update season._

 _Favorites, follows and reviews are always exceptionally welcomed and treasured! And if you have an idea for a future chapter, feel free to let me know. I'll be sure to credit you if I use it._

 _A Merry Christmas Eve to you all! I'll be back with a new update tomorrow._

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	35. Chapter 35

_35._

It started out with a simple set of sniffles.

Nothing dramatic, nothing Elle didn't have practically on the regular from the cold (she still wasn't fully adapted to the year-round winter climate of Elfsburg, after all.) She didn't think anything of it, because it wasn't affecting her day too much and she wasn't _feeling_ sick.

And then she started sneezing.

Okay, maybe it was allergies? She had allergies before she became an elf, maybe she still had them now. Though, there wasn't an abundance of things for her to be allergic to in the Pole. Again, the climate eliminated the possibility of any of the trees and plants she was terribly reactive to. Still, some part of her refused to admit she was sick. Elves hardly ever got sick! What were the odds that so soon after becoming an elf for good, she'd come down with something? Probably not very likely.

But then it was mid-October, and a Tuesday, and sometime during her second round of the workshop floor she started feeling really dizzy and tired, which didn't make sense since she'd gone to bed early the night before while watching a movie at B's house. She leaned against a pillar, trying to look moderately casual while actually blacking out a little.

"You okay?" She felt a hand on her lower back, and wow did that bring to her attention that her skin ached. She winced a little, and the hand grew more gentle. "Sorry. Bad timing?"

"No, B, you're fine," Elle reassured quietly, casting a glance around to make sure no one was staring. The rest of the elves hadn't seemed to notice how out of sorts she was—or maybe, she just didn't look as bad as she felt.

"You look…kind of off color. Are you feeling alright? Is it too noisy in here for you today?" So there went the looking alright. She sighed, leaning off the pillar and squaring her shoulders as best she could.

"I'm fine! Probably just ate something a little off for breakfast." She shook her head and regretted it immediately, but forced a grin that showed up as more of a grimace.

 _'You're not lying, are you?'_ Came a suspicious Bernard into her mind.

 _'Listen, if I have a problem, you'll be the first to know,'_ she reassured him, and felt a little twinge of dissatisfaction.

 _'That's not really what I asked—'_

She gave him a little shrug, turning and blinking hard once she had her back to him. Okay, no quick turns today. And she made a note to check the temperature when she got back to Bernard's office—it was uncomfortably hot inside. Was the heating broken again?

* * *

"Elle?"

There was a unhappy noise in response. Bernard cast his gaze around the room before finally noticing Elle's shoes by the couch. He passed them and went to the bedroom, surprised at the lights being off and nearly banging his shins on a low basket of clean laundry before realizing that the basket had groaned. The basket wasn't just a basket of laundry, it was a basket of Elle.

"What are you _doing_ in there?" He asked, with a slight laugh, and Elle groaned again.

"I dunno…was trying to take my socks off so I could take a nap and then I tripped and fell in here."

"And why didn't you get out? Were you waiting for me to come and save you?" He went and flicked on the bedside light, revealing Elle half tucked into the contents of the basket.

"No. I just didn't have the energy to get up, since I'm really wedged in here. I didn't want to fight fate. Also it's pretty comfy, so I thought I could get away with a nap—" She cut herself off to struggle with the clothes around her before sighing and trying to kick her feet to get up.

"You really aren't feeling well are you."

"My head aches like crazy and so does my back and I think I've swallowed just shy of a gallon of snot in the past three hours."

"Gross."

"Yeah, sorry." He came and helped her up by the elbows, and she nearly crashed into him from lack of balance. "Sorry. You should get out of here, I think I might have caught something."

"You think?" Bernard snorted. He seemed a little slighted.

"Yeah. I looked up my symptoms on elfMD and it said I probably have consumption and will die within ten to fourteen days."

Bernard rolled his eyes. "Sure you do." Clearly, that wasn't what he'd meant.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry I brushed you off earlier. I just didn't want you to worry," Elle finished in a mumble, sniffing loudly. She began shucking off her sweater. "Did you turn up the heat today? It's too damn hot around here…" She went to her closet and picked out a lighter shirt before slipping her coat back on.

"I'm sorry, _where_ do you think you're going?" The sentence was just shy of having a "young lady" added on at the end, but the tone was very much the same.

"I have another small set of rounds to make through—"

"No you don't."

Elle frowned unhappily, and opened her mouth to argue before realizing that he _was_ elf number one. If he told her not to go back to work, she pretty much had to listen.

"You need to rest, before this gets any worse. It sounds like you're coming down with some kind of flu and it would be _better_ if you weren't down and out for several weeks at a time."

"Well then at _least_ I should go shopping, the only thing I've got in the pantry right now is cereal and…" she sneezed into her elbow, blinking dizzily. "And… maybe toaster strudel? In the freezer?"

"Nope." He crossed his arms, tapping a toe. "You're going to stay right here, and bundle up."

"But I'm _hot."_

"Oh I know," he said, with a sly look, and she nearly choked while sneezing again. "But if you're feeling _too_ hot than you probably have a fever. Come here." He waved her over and she shuffled closer, socks scuffing over the rug. His hand felt warm, but somehow also like a cool relief. She made a mental note that if this got much worse, she should call Jacqueline to come and ice her up. Just a light layer of frost should help a lot…

"Yeah, you're definitely running some kind of a temperature." He turned her around to face her bed, and she didn't have the strength to resist the pivot. "Just rest for a bit, okay? I'm gonna go out and grab a few things, and I'll be right back. Try to sleep while I'm gone."

"Bernard, no," she protested, but was already sitting down on the bed and climbing under the blankets. "It's already bad enough with me being down, you shouldn't be wasting your time—"

"Ah!" He held up a hand. "Whatever you're going to say, you're already wrong. I'm not wasting my time by making sure you have what you need to get well. Besides, it may be later in the year, but we're ahead of schedule. The only big thing coming up any time soon is whatever situation the Decoration Committee comes up with for Halloween."

She giggled, hiding her face partway under the covers. He smiled, tucking her shoulders in and putting a handkerchief into her hand. "Now, I'll be back in an hour or so. Don't budge from this spot unless you really have to, okay?"

Elle nodded.

"Okay." He gave her head a soft tousle and turned out the light, the sound of his footsteps retreating making Elle drowsy. She didn't _really_ want to stay in bed, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to close her eyes for a few minutes…the bedclothes were nice and cool and all…

* * *

She woke up to the sound of a worried Bernard, and the rustle of a paper grocery bag.

"…Elle?" She opened her eyes and grimaced against the light. The first thing she noticed was that the blankets felt too heavy. The second was that her hair was damp, and sticking to her forehead. Gross.

"Hmm?" He started taking some things out of the paper bag, setting them on the table beside the bed. She saw a box of tissues, and some kind of pill bottle fastened with a red and white striped plastic seal that looked like it was from the Elfirmary, and another taller bottle that looked suspiciously like some sort of not-NyQuil. Elfquil? That was a bit of a reach. He was struggling to unbox something small, it seemed. A moment later he tossed the empty box back into the bag, and she saw it was a thermometer.

"Say ah."

She didn't want to, but knew there wasn't any way to get out of it, so she did. She almost fell asleep with it in her mouth, but then it beeped and startled her awake again. Bernard frowned at the device.

"38.3. That's…not good, but it could be worse."

"I'm cold?" Elle mumbled, looking confused. He shook his head.

"No, it's Celsius. That's around 101 Fahrenheit, so you're a little on the warm side for sure."

She groaned, hiding her face in the pillow.

"I swung by the Elfirmary before they closed up for the evening and got a few things from Hismus. He said there have been a few cases of flu around the post office this week, that it sounded like you might have it too based on your symptoms. Have you been around there lately?"

"Yeah, two days ago. I went to try and get a separate address for the loft, since every time I order a package it gets delivered to the bakery downstairs instead. It's a hassle for everyone involved, and I can only imagine it'll get worse once I move in."

"Well, that would explain it." He sighed. "One of the rare times an illness is going around among the elves, and you had to be one of them."

"Sorry for the inconvenience," Elle muttered, and he clicked his tongue at her.

"You know that's not what I meant. I care about you, and I don't like seeing you sick."

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm just feeling…extra _crabby_ right now." Her stomach growled. "And apparently hungry."

"Well, you're in luck! I bought stuff for dinner."

Twenty minutes later and they were both in the living room, Elle curled up on the sofa with a mug of soup in her hands. "Thank you, B," she said, really beginning to look miserable at this point. Her face was flushed and damp and she seemed to radiate exhaustion. Or maybe she actually _was,_ since her telepathy could spread feelings and all. "I'd really be lost without you."

"Nothing to thank me for," he said, but he turned a little pink around the edges and looked pleased all the same.

"You should go though."

"Hmm?"

Elle tried to sniff, but instead sneezed and had to blow her nose again. It was a minute before she could speak. "I know there's paperwork to be done back in the office, I was going to help but"—another loud sneeze and a miserable groan—"I don't think it's a smart choice for me to put my germs all over them."

"Agreed. Let's just say you're taking the next few days off, alright? You're in no condition to be on your feet, and anyway, the last thing we want is this getting spread around the Workshop."

She nodded, setting her mug down and cuddling with one cheek against a throw pillow. "You should keep your distance too, for now. So you don't get sick either."

"Nonsense."

She looked up, confused. "Excuse me?"

Bernard frowned as she made another loud, wet sounding sniff. "If you think I'm going to just leave you here to fend for yourself, you're not reading my mind like you should be."

"You know I try not to read anyone's mind, unless I _have_ to _,"_ Elle replied, sighing. "B, we can't both be out of commission. I mean, it's arguable whether I'm completely necessary. You on the other hand, are _not_ expendable, and…" she paused to rub at an eye. "And if I'm the one who drags you down with me and this bug..."

"Well, tough!" She was surprised at his tone, and how oddly chipper it sounded for being defiant, and she couldn't help but let out a short laugh. He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "I'm bringing the paperwork here. I'll keep my distance, but I'm also going to keep an eye on you."

"I could just call Jacqueline and ask her to look after me! She doesn't get sick easy."

"Are you trying to deny me my right to take care of you?" B set a hand on his hip, looking even more comical.

"Your…how to say it…boyfriendly rights? Really?"

"Yeah, really. Well, are you?"

Elle closes her eyes, leaning back into the sofa. "No, but only because if I argue anymore I think my head's gonna pop."

"Sinus pressure?"

"Like you wouldn't _believe."_

"Then consider the argument over. I'll be back in say, half an hour?" He looked at his watch, then offered a fond smile. "Don't wait up, cause if you fall asleep on the couch, I'll make sure the tv gets turned off."

"'Kay. Love you."

"Love you too."

Despite how little Elle figured she'd fall asleep, she found herself waking up to the sound of shuffling papers and the smell of something cooking—what, she wasn't sure, since she was too congested to tell. She rolled over and peeked with one eye in the direction of the dining room table. It seemed as though Bernard had set up temporarily there, so he really could keep an eye on her.

"You know, you can use my study space if you want a better desk," she offered, sounding more sleepy than she'd meant to. What was in those pills she'd taken, anyway?

Bernard looked up and gave her a lopsided smile. "Am I being too loud?"

"No. And even if you were, I'm pretty drowsy right now." She yawned, then sneezed. "Besides…" she snuggled back down into the blankets. "I like knowing you're here."

"I know you do." He'd known it when he'd first insisted he stay—a little rush of happiness and contentment through their Bond. Elle didn't always say what she was feeling, but then again, neither did he. The nice part was, thanks in part to Elle's gifts and also to the Clause, they usually knew what the other felt without trying—when they remembered to tune in.

She heard him chuckle, and found herself dozing off again. The next time she woke up, she felt herself being picked up off the couch, blankets and all. She made a noise of protest, but it was weak.

"Shouldn't be…this close to me," She warned, still half asleep. "You're gonna catch…what _ever_ this is."

"No I won't," he reassured quietly, and Elle sighed.

"Stubborn elf."

"Stubborn, maybe, but still loves you."

"Mmm."

She found herself being tucked into bed, barely noticing that she felt a little better (probably from the medication.) She felt a pair of warm lips on her forehead, and then she was drifting to sleep again. She just barely had the wherewithal to hope that she'd be better off in the morning.

* * *

False hopes, as it turned out. She woke up the next morning sweating again, needing the bathroom and probably the tallest glass of water in existence for how thirsty she was and good _grief_ , her head hurt. It felt like the room was pulsing.

Luckily the bathroom was connected to the bedroom, so she didn't have to go a long way. She didn't exactly trust herself to not slip and fall with how dizzy she was feeling. She managed to shuffle into the bathroom, nearly tripping over the shower mat on the way to the toilet, and spent some time at the sink splashing water on her face in an effort to cool down. But it only made her face more red, and the hairs around the edges of her face become unruly and curly again. She looked in the mirror at herself. Her face looked puffy and her eyes were red as was her nose, and she felt nauseous to boot. Today was not going to be a good day.

When she left the bathroom, to her surprise, she saw Bernard sitting in the chair adjacent to her nightstand, reading something on a new bottle. "B?" She asked, swiping at her damp forehead. "What are you doing here?"

"Took the day off," he said with a shrug. "With the paperwork done, it's gonna be a pretty routine day anyway. Might as well be here helping you." He looked her up and down and immediately grew more concerned. "Looks like you could use all the help you can get right now. How are you feeling? Any better?"

Elle opened her mouth to answer, but couldn't find a positive response. She shook her head, feeling oddly emotional, and rubbed at her eye instead, sniffing. She felt like a little kid, and wasn't fully enjoying the experience.

"That bad, huh? I'm sorry." He came over and helped her sit down on the bed, doling out new medicine along with what he'd given her the night before. "I swung by Hismus' office on the way to take the paperwork to Santa this morning," he told her. "He said this might help with the fever and aches?"

She took everything, surprised that she could keep it down considering how queasy she felt. He offered to bring her breakfast up, but she wanted to get out of the bedroom. It felt too warm and claustrophobic.

She spent the rest of the morning and afternoon on the sofa, watching tv and dosing and alternating between frequent bathroom breaks and readjusting her blankets every few minutes because she couldn't find an equilibrium between her fever and her chills. It wasn't a good time, exactly, but it helped that Bernard was around to bring her new tissues and a trash can occasionally and food when she could handle it. She felt exceptionally guilty about him having to take care of her, but he seemed almost…happy to? He didn't seem to be doing so grudgingly, at any rate. And she really did need the help, since she couldn't stand for more than a minute and a half without getting too dizzy to function.

Two days passed that way. Hismus came by to give her a once over, and seconded his initial opinion that Elle had indeed caught that flu— "a particularly nasty strain of it" to boot. He gave Bernard a lecture about proper sanitation and precautions so that he didn't catch it as well, and if Elle hadn't felt so awful she might have laughed at the sight of the much smaller elf talking up to Bernard with a stern look and pointed finger.

Her fever got worse before it got better. She spent quite a bit of time delirious, occasionally speaking nonsense to Bernard when he was around. There was a point where he got so worried that he sat next to her, making sure personally that she kept her ice packs on and didn't move them off because she _felt_ too cold from her chills. At one point he left to get her some popcorn she'd asked for (she was too nauseous for much else than light foods) and returned to find her standing in the open door to the suite in nothing but her t-shirt and shorts, her blanket abandoned halfway across the floor.

"What are you doing?!" He nearly yelped, hustling over to her before she could step into the hall. She looked back, offering a vacant smile.

"Going to get a waffle."

"You said you wanted popcorn!" He shut the door, and she frowned.

"That's what I said!" She shivered. "Where's my coat? It's cold."

"You're gonna wear your coat with a t shirt and shorts?"

She looked close to tears. "I have to be cold instead?"

"Elle, sweetheart…"

"I'm sorry," Elle said quietly, looking down at her toes.

"You don't need to be," he replied, grabbing her blanket up off the floor. "Come on, back to the couch with you."

"But—"

"No buts!" She jumped a little. " _Sorry,_ sorry. Too harsh." He led her with a hand on her back to the couch, and she plunked down with a sigh.

"You think I'm gonna be sick forever?" She sneezed, and he passed her a tissue.

"No, probably just a few more days."

A groan. "It _feels_ like it's been forever."

"I know, Elle. But it won't be."

She rolled onto her side, bundling into her blankets even though she was clearly sweating. "I miss my mom," she said quietly, to which Bernard didn't know what to say. But it did make him wonder if her getting sick had anything to do with how sad she'd been lately with the loss of her family. It had been a month and a half since she'd gotten the news, but it still lingered on her from time to time; and that much sadness wasn't good for an elvish constitution.

So he made an especial effort to spend time with her when she seemed sad, doing what he could to make sure she was staying upbeat and reading to her when she couldn't fall asleep. She _did_ sleep a lot, which was helpful so that he could juggle work into the mix. Maybe she'd been right that trying to take care of her _and_ keep up with the Workshop was a bit much—especially in October. But he was _determined_ to do both. It was the first time in his life that he had someone to look after like this, and he wanted to do his _best_ at it.

Gradually, thanks to his close watch and care, some of her symptoms began to simmer down. They were far from gone, but they'd stopped getting worse. Privately, Elle was on a plateau of misery, resigned to being sick for the indefinite future. Bernard told her to stay optimistic, since that would help her recover more quickly, but she just felt gross and tired and _hated_ the fact that she hadn't given him a hug in upward of five days.

But he was with her most of the day, and at work a good portion of the night, and she was getting really worried he was pushing himself too hard in spite of her pleas not to strain himself. Hismus has definitely been concerned with how strong her flu was, and she dreaded the idea of Bernard wearing himself out to the point where he caught what she had as well.

Because what would they do if they _both_ were down for the count?

* * *

 _I hope you all aren't getting bored with these fluffy chapters! This is a two parter as well…I think you can guess what happens next. I'll try to have it posted by tomorrow, or VERY latest New Years. This holiday season has proven to be more eventful than I expected!_

 _Next chapter will probably be my last update for this Christmas. When I come back next year with more chapters, hopefully I'll have some more exciting themes! I just really wanted some bonding chapters for Elle and Bernard and her friends, especially after how dramatic the main arc was._

 _Favorites, follows and reviews are always a blessing and huge motivation. Thanks to BlueRaider1993, fangirl0012345, SafyreSky, hobgoblinowl, LoveFiction2017 and one Guest for your reviews of the previous chapter! It was indeed a sad one, and we'll be seeing a little of the fallout from it through this and the next chapter. After that is a chapter or two that I've been planning for a LONG time and am looking forward to. I'm also still open to prompts! If there's something you'd like to see in this story, let me know and I'll credit you if I use it._

 _Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!_

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**

 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	36. Chapter 36

_36._

Elle's dread didn't come unwarranted, it seemed. Somewhere a week into her bug, she started to hear Bernard sneezing—sneezing quietly, into his sleeve to muffle the sound, but often. He'd waved it off, of course.

"Someone spilled a whole cart of spices in the kitchen while I was passing through today. It was messy! I probably breathed some in or something." This sounded fake, but he wouldn't accept any other answers. Then he'd started complaining the suite was too cold, which might have been reasonable, if Elle hadn't already had the heat turned up to help her sweat out her fever. She'd started noticing he looked more tired than usual, especially around the eyes, and got a little cranky—which would have been normal, except he was being cranky with _her,_ which wasn't. It also happened to make her cry, considering how miserable _she_ was feeling, and he'd left in a huff insisting he _wasn't_ sick, and that she should just _drop_ it, and that he was going to get some air, some more crackers and some soda.

He was coughing when he came back in the door, carrying two shopping bags and looking ready to drop in a way Elle had yet to see from him yet. He just kind of stood inside the doorway and looked at her, shoulders sagging with a bag in each hand and his scarf hanging unevenly around his neck. "I'm sorry," he said, and she knew he was apologizing not only for snapping at her and making her cry, but also for insisting he wasn't getting sick.

Elle got up, in spite of her weak legs and dizziness, and offered him a smile, carefully taking one of the bags. "It's okay," she reassured him, and took his hand, leading him into the kitchen. Together, they unpacked the things Bernard had bought at the store (he seemed to have had the foresight to stock up on a few sick foods, which was a blessing) and then, Elle had him sit down while she made a call to the Elfirmary to have someone bring by some more of the medication she'd been taking. She hung up the phone, then hesitated.

"Should I call Santa and let him know you need time off too?" She asked, and Bernard immediately looked conflicted. Clearly, he didn't want to have to take a bigger break than he already was, but on the other hand, his body was definitely screaming at him that he couldn't keep up at the moment. Seeing his uncertainty, Elle set the phone aside and promised only to call the next morning, if he wasn't feeling better by then. That seemed to relax him a great deal.

"Do you want to go home?" He looked worried, as if he'd be imposing. "I mean, you're welcome to stay. My bed is plenty big enough and there's always the couch. But I thought you might be more comfortable at your own place."

Bernard shook his head. "No, I'd rather be here with you. Besides, there's no point in spreading germs to my house too."

"You wanna go get some pajamas or something?"

"I left a pair in your closet, I'm pretty sure. If I need more I'll"—he sneezed—"go and get them tomorrow. Or when I'm feeling a little better."

Elle didn't want to be the downer to tell him that it would probably be a few days before he felt any better at all, so instead she pulled the box of tissues closer and offered it to him. "Okay. I'm gonna try and get the place cleaned up a little, at least so that it's comfortable for the both of us. As best I can, at any rate…" She looked around at the suite. Bernard had been keeping things up considerably well over the week, but the clutter still kept building up from the general effect of having a sick person in the house.

"I can help," he offered immediately, trying to get up from the table, but he groaned halfway, eyes screwed shut.

"Nope, you're gonna sit tight until your meds get delivered. And in the meantime, the nurse said it's okay for you to take some aspirin."

"Have you taken yours?"

"Mhmm, I took everything while you were gone." She brought over the bottle from the cupboard and a glass of water, and was surprised when he didn't take it from her. Instead, she found herself wrapped in a hug, though admittedly a strange one, with his arms around her waist and his head on her chest.

"I'm really sorry I snapped, Elle. I was being a jerk," he mumbled through her sweatshirt, and she couldn't help but chuckle and stroke his hair a little.

"Hey, it's not your fault! You weren't feeling good either. We both weren't at our best. I'm not mad."

"I made you _cry."_ His tone of voice sounded almost as if he were going to cry, and she immediately did her best to pull herself together mentally and send comforting thoughts his way.

"Yeah, but so does stubbing my toe sometimes. Hurts for a minute, but it passes. Don't sweat it."

"Elle…"

"B," Elle replied firmly, then sneezed and had to recollect herself before going on. "I love you, and I need you to let it go. Okay?" He still seemed sad, in an out of character kind of way, and she felt like she needed to give him an opportunity to make it right. "I tell you what. You bundle up with me on the couch and watch something until your medicine gets here, and all will be forgiven. Sound fair?"

He hesitated.

"I've really been missing your hugs, and since you're sick now…"

Finally, a smile. "Yeah, alright."

"Okay!"

"And for the record," he added, getting up from the chair, "I've missed your hugs too."

They made their way to the couch, both leaning on each other one way or another before settling in and getting as comfortable as their weary bodies would let them be. Still, Elle hadn't been lying; she'd missed having him close and it seemed from the way he was holding onto her that he felt the same way. Or, maybe, he was just really chilly after all. With her running a fever, and him too cold, they were perfect opposites and the solution to each other's issues, in a way.

Half an hour later the medicine arrived via nurse. From a quick battery of tests similar to the ones Hismus had given Elle the nurse doubled checked Bernard's condition and confirmed what they both already knew, that he'd caught Elle's flu. The recommendations were the same for him, with the added advice to stay bundled up and drink lots of warm liquids. Luckily the suite had an over abundance of blankets, and Judy kept sending by deliveries of hot drinks from the Kitchen, so there was no problem there. By the time the nurse left, Bernard had progressed further into his illness, not red around the edges like Elle was but rather, pale and clammy looking.

By the time they went to bed, Elle had broken out the electric blanket for him, and tucked him well into bed before crawling in as well. She'd already changed out of her pajamas twice that evening, from how hot and sweaty she was from her fever, and found herself still roasting in an oversized University of Washington hoodie and some sleep shorts. She managed to set alarms for throughout the night, at the times they needed to take their medicines, barely remembering to shut off the bedside light before she hit the pillow.

* * *

Bernard with a flu was quite resigned to his fate, Elle found. Usually she was the one with a nihilistic outlook on things, but something about him feeling so bad and being so "useless" in his own words made him quite…pouty, almost? Anyway, he was far from happy with staying still—when he was supposed to be napping or resting, that is. When he was spending time being miserable _with_ her, Elle found he was distracted enough to not notice his own misery. In fact, it felt like that went both ways, and she got the decided feeling that they were both making concerted efforts to make the situation less dismal for each other. So far, two was better than one. At least the didn't have to worry about being overly careful not to make the other sick.

If Elle had thought that Bernard catching her cold would mean he stopped playing nurse, she was mistaken. In fact, he doubly enjoyed taking care of her as a means of distracting himself. He still liked to read to her, especially when the tv seemed too noisy—though, now that he was congested too, he did so mentally, projecting the words through their Bond to her. The mental sound of his voice soothed her tremendously, serving as the only thing that could put her to sleep when she became too miserable to do so on her own.

Inversely, it seemed that he liked her babying him a little more when he wasn't feeling his best. He became very fond of the feeling of her fingers stroking his hair, or how she would kiss his cheeks when he got fussy and worried. He wanted extra attention, which would have been funny if she hadn't liked being able to do something to comfort him to make up for the fact she'd gotten him sick.

A week and a half had passed with Elle being sick (a half week since Bernard had followed suit) when the news reached Jacqueline that both of her best friends were wiped off their feet. Intrigued by the turn of events and the sniffly message Elle had left her, she went to visit the two elves, not really worried about catching it. It was very unlikely that a sprite such as herself would contract an elven strain of flu, at any rate.

She decided not to poof into the suite just in case they weren't decent, instead knocking at the front door before letting herself in. "Elle? B-Man?" She called, and a noise from the couch drew her attention. There was a very mussed looking Bernard, with red eyes and a redder nose. "Yikes, you aren't looking so hot."

"Don't feel hot, either. I'm _freezing,"_ he complained, burrowing his feet a little deeper into the layers of blankets he was swaddled in. Jacqueline made an effort to keep her cool to herself, so to speak, being more mindful of the temperature she was giving off.

"Where's Elle?"

"Here." A hand shot up from…the floor? Yes, Elle was laying flat on the floor, her cheek pressed against the cool hardwood. She was still dressed in an oversized t-shirt and shorts, a half melted bowl of ice cubes sitting beside her with a spoon. "And before you ask, yes. I have a fever. And it hasn't broken yet. Which is ridiculous."

"Hismus says once my chills and her fever let up, we'll be nearly completely done with this thing," Bernard explained, rubbing at an eye.

"And I'm just about to shrivel up from dehydration if I don't stop sweating so much," Elle complainer, flopping over to lay on her back and look up at her friend, her face a flushed, hot mess.

"I mean, that at least I could help with," Jacqueline offered offhandedly with a snicker, mainly as a joke. But Elle seemed to take it seriously, peeking up a little.

"Hell yeah! Frost me up, pal."

Bernard sighed and rolled over to face them, making a negative sound. "Jacqueline, do _not_ actually frost Elle."

"Excuse you? I can make my own choices, homeboy. I'm _roasting_ down here."

"Maybe he just doesn't want you to chill out because he likes using you as his own personal hot water bottle," Jacqueline said with a smirk, grinning outright when she saw Bernard grow even redder around the ears. "Let me guess, you two didn't keep your distance from each other, and one of you got the other sick. Am I right, or am I right?"

" _Jacqueline_ …"

"Well?" She peered over at Elle, who raised her hands in innocence.

"To be fair, I _tried_ to tell him to stay away while I got over this…"

Jacqueline rolled her eyes to the heavens, grinning. "Oh geez. You guys are so dumb." She made her way into the kitchen, stepping around the pile of Elle on the floor. "At least you seem to have been keeping up with things a little," she added, eyeing the dishes in the sink. "Don't tell me that this bug has both of your magics in a funk." The fact that there were dishes and Bernard hadn't done that nifty little snap trick to cut corners in his time of need didn't bode well.

"I can't use mine," Elle said, getting up off the ground to raid one of the shopping bags Jacqueline had brought for popsicles. "My telepathy is almost completely down, and when I try to use magic I end up just breaking things instead."

"And Bernard?" She looked over to find him almost half asleep, snuggled against a pillow. He would have looked peaceful if he didn't also look like he'd been through hell.

"Using magic is too draining for him right now." Elle looked over worriedly. "I've never seen him like this before."

"Neither have I, to be honest. It's kinda weird to see him…you know. _Resting_."

"It's my fault I got him sick," Elle said quietly, looking down at the box in her hands. "He wanted to take care of me, and I let him. I should have insisted he keep his distance."

"To be fair, he's not very good at that when it comes to you," Jacqueline pointed out with a slight laugh. "But I know what you mean. Honestly it's not your fault, Elle. B-Man is stubborn, and he wasn't just going to leave you to fend for yourself. I wouldn't expect him to, anyway."

"Funny, that's almost exactly how he said it to me." Elle felt a little better after devouring two or so popsicles, good enough that she ended up helping Jacqueline make dinner. She felt a little less overwhelmed having a pair of fully functional hands around, even just for the evening.

Jacqueline lent her a hand in doing a few of the bigger chores like taking out trash and changing the sheets and such, while Bernard slept on the couch. He'd tried to get up at least three times to help them, but the girls had taken turns making him lay back down and actually _rest._

"If he wasn't sick I'd be glad he was actually taking a break," Elle had said, keeping a watchful eye on him from the balcony of the bedroom.

"He doesn't like to slow down, does he? That's B-Man all over." Jacqueline smoothed out the comforter and hesitated. "You sure you don't want me to put like, a light bit of a frost over your side of the sheets? Might help you stay cool."

"Nah, it's okay. Thank you though." Elle waved away the idea. "He won't be comfortable if the bed is too cold, what with his chills. And I don't want him sleeping on the couch the whole time, it's a comfortable couch but…I dunno." She turned a little more flushed than she already was.

"So I was right about the keeping cozy, huh?" Jacqueline said with a smirk.

"I mean…" Elle shrugged, speaking in a lower, slightly guilty tone. "I like when he wants to cuddle. Is that so wrong?"

"Nope. You guys are gross, that's all—and I don't mean this flu you've got. But it's cute." Jacqueline grabbed the basket of dirty sheets and crossed to the bathroom. "Mind if I throw these down the wash chute real quick? That way you won't fall even _more_ behind."

"I'd really appreciate it," Elle admitted, following behind more slowly. "Thank you for all your help, really."

"Don't mention it! Did Dr. Hismus give you an estimate for how long it'll take for you two to beat this?"

"I should only need a few more days, Bernard still has up to a week left. Hopefully he'll kick it sooner."

"Yikes."

"Double yikes, since one he starts actually _feeling_ even a little better, I'm worried he's gonna want to go right back to work."

"I doubt Hismus will clear him for that. And if he doesn't have the doctor's permission, then I don't think Santa would let him. You probably don't need to worry."

"That's…that's a good point really." Elle set a tired hand to her forehead. "I'm not thinking as clearly as I'd like to be."

"That's okay, and probably to be expected. Why don't you sit down and chill for a bit? You've been up helping me since I got here."

Elle almost argued before realizing her friend was right. Jacqueline led the way back out into the bedroom, and Elle flopped down on the clean bed. "Good point."

"You know, maybe you two have been going at it a little too hard," Jacqueline pointed out, and Elle gave her an odd look. "Not like _that_ " —she pulled a grossed out face— "I mean about work. Maybe you've both been overworking yourselves, and that's why you're in this mess. You should try taking some time for yourselves once and a while, away from the Workshop."

"But there's always so much to do!" Elle argued with a a sigh. "And any time Bernard is away from the place, he's stressing about what he's missed. I don't think we _could_ take a break, even if we _both_ wanted to."

"I dunno, something tells me this bug you have should help put that into perspective before long." Jacqueline grinned. "From one friend to another, it's been quite the couple of years for you both. Wouldn't hurt to step away for a while."

"We'll see." It did get Elle's mind turning though. Could they actually take a break? What would they do if they did?

* * *

She kept thinking about it in the back of her mind as she came to sit beside a sleeping Bernard, about to tuck her feet up carefully so as not to wake him when he shot out an arm and pulled her down beside him, tossing the blanket over her.

"Got you," he said, sounding groggy with a slight catch in his throat. Elle smiled.

"Yeah, you got me." Despite immediately feeling too warm for comfort, she cuddled back again him and he seemed very grateful for the warmth. "B, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"If you're awake enough, that is."

"Awake enough to listen," he said, squeezing her a little tighter.

"Yeah, perfect. But could you loosen up your grip a little buddy? I gotta breathe still."

"Oh. My bad." His arms relaxed a little.

"Thanks." Elle took a deep breath. "Do you think we've been working too hard?"

"Does that sound like something I'd _ever_ think?" He said with a little laugh.

"B, I'm _serious._ I mean…" she gave a little sigh. "We've been working really hard all year. I mean, we've got our normal Workshop business, but then I've been getting ready to move, keeping a regular workout schedule, staying up late, being stressed about…" She trailed off before saying _family stuff._ "Well, a lot of things. You miss meals and sleep less than I do, and on top of that you've been weighed down by my secondhand stress, and then there's been the fact that we've been getting used to being together…"

"Sounds like a lot, when you put it like that."

"It _is_ a lot. And that's my point. We had a week or two of time after New Years to get a slight grip on ourselves and all that happened during Christmas and…well, the year before. But we've kind of been going non stop."

"What're you saying?"

"Well, Jacqueline said that maybe we should take a break. And the more I think about it, maybe she's right."

"Isn't this a break now?"

Elle laughed. "Being sick doesn't count as a break, Bernard, good grief."

"So by a break, you mean—"

"Actual time _off._ Maybe even getting out of here, going on a trip? Some fresh air would be nice. _Warmer_ air, even."

"You're talking about a vacation," Bernard realized, waking up more at the thought.

"Yeah? I think so." She turned to face him. "I mean, is it really that crazy to think of?"

"If you mean before Christmas, than maybe a little."

"I just have this feeling," Elle insisted, "that something is going to make this holiday season hectic."

"To be fair, every year is like that one way or another."

"I mean _really hectic, B."_

 _"Well,"_ Bernard said, looking thoughtful. "Santa and Mrs. Claus are expecting around Christmas. Maybe that's what you're feeling?" He turned his head to sneeze into his elbow, and Elle reached a hand over for a tissue.

"You're right, I'm pretty sure that has something to do with it." She fell silent, wondering if it were wrong for her to feel that way. It wasn't that she didn't want Buddy to arrive! It was more that seeing Scott and Carol expand their family first hand made her miss hers even more, and she didn't want to bring that subtly negative atmosphere to a happy situation. But how could she say that? Was it selfish?

"No." Elle felt her stomach sink at this reply, but when she looked at Bernard, he seemed to be comforting her. "It's not selfish. If I had had to face what you have this year—this past two years, really—I'd probably feel somewhere along the lines of the same way." Oh. It _did_ make her feel better to hear him say so. Maybe she wasn't being irrational after all.

Bernard sighed, leaning back against the sofa cushions. "We are ridiculously well prepared for this Christmas," he admitted, "even with this break we're taking for being ill. It isn't a terrible idea. But I really don't know, Elle. We'd need to check with Santa, see if he's okay with us being gone at such a momentous time, make sure someone trustworthy is left in charge…"

"I know! I know it's a lot to ask," Elle said, taking his hand. "But…can we at least agree to consider it?"

"Yeah. I think I can agree to that." He smiled, and Elle immediately melted in relief, hugging him again.

"Hey, so I think I've just about wrapped up things here—" Jacqueline came in and paused, seeing them hugging. "Well _that's_ the reason you two dorks are in this spot to begin with," she said with a chuckle.

"Don't judge, or you might find yourself in a similar bind soon," Bernard warned, shaking a finger.

"Pssht, please. I doubt I'd make a mistake like that." Jacqueline rolled her eyes. "Anyway, everything seems to be in order around here. I'm gonna bounce! Send a thought my way if you guys are hard pressed for anything else before you get well, okay Elle? I can drop stuff off if you're in a pinch."

"Thanks, Jacquie," Elle said with a smile. "Hopefully we'll be back on our feet before we need to impose again."

"As if! I'm happy to swing by. Well, I'd be happier if you two weren't sick when I did, though. Get better, okay?"

"Will do. You take care of yourself, Jacqueline," said Bernard, offering a tired smile.

"You too, B-Man. Take care of each other! Not that you aren't doing well enough with that, already." She winked, and in a flash of snowflakes, Jacqueline was gone.

Elle eventually went to fetch a clean basket of blankets, and the two elves settled in for the evening. "They're still warm from the dryer," Elle said, bundling Bernard up extra cozy and chuckling at the sight of him in such a fluffy state. She settled in beside him with the box of popsicles, a box of tissues wedged between the sofa cushions.

"A vacation, hmm?" Bernard said thoughtfully, flicking on the tv, and Elle nodded.

"Mhmm."

"A vacation." He didn't say anything more, and it wasn't mentioned again, not until long after the two of them had fully recovered from their flu. But the thought had been put out there, and it would continue to grow in the back of their minds throughout the weeks to come.

* * *

 _Here's the part two I promised! Sorry it took longer than expected, I myself was feeling under the weather and everything leading up to New Years kind of took over my time. Anyway, this is the last update of this holiday season! More than likely I won't be updating again until October of this year, but you never know. Sometimes I just feel like popping in to keep things moving (I'm always working on this story throughout the year, as my tumblr can attest to.)_

 _A huge thanks to SafyreSky for letting me use Jacqueline again in this chapter! Hopefully she was in character enough, if not yell my way and I'll tidy her lines up, okay?_

 _Favorites, follows and reviews are always much appreciated! Many warm thanks to SafyreSky, fangirl0012345, BlueRaider1993, LoveFiction2017 (your read through was delightful, thanks!) SummerMistedDragon and one Guest for your reviews of the previous chapter! And my PM inbox is always open for discussion, ideas, what have you—or you can interact with me on tumblr! My username is shittyelfwriter there._

 _Happy New Year, to you and yours!_

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**

 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	37. Chapter 36 and a half: Interlude

_36.5. Interlude_

It had begun so simply, with the unpacking of a box.

Elle was still preparing to move into her new loft, and was finally getting around to packing the few things she had saved from her, well, 'past lives' for lack of a better term. She was an elf now, through and through; she _knew_ that, and was grateful for it. But sitting on the floor of her new home, Elle pulled opened a box of things her best friend Jacqueline had somehow saved from her flat in Seattle, and new questions bubbled to the front of her mind.

These items were from a parallel universe that never should have existed, but there was Jack Frost— sometime trickster and legendary figure, not to mention Jacqueline's older _brother_ —to thank for that. His time and reality bending shenanigans now referred to as the Pocket-watch Incident had created a timeline where Elle had never come to the North Pole—she hasn't needed to, as her family had been healthy, at least. Maybe not entirely happy, but healthy. And so Elle had never met Bernard and had never fallen subject to the Emissary Clause, which didn't even _exist_ there.

That's where this box had come from. A universe where, even though Elle had been made to forget, some part of her head or heart wouldn't quite let go of what had been lost, and _that's_ what the box's contents were a testament to.

In that place, which Elle had taken to referring to as Watchverse by now, she had spent the good part of a year researching, documenting, learning everything she could about conspiracy theories—specifically ones related to alternate realities or erased timelines, anything to help explain the forgotten memories that kept resurfacing in her mind. There hadn't been room for skepticism in her anymore, not after she'd become telepathic and telekinetic. Anything seemed possible, if not probable, and her foggy recollections together with her inexplicable powers had fueled her search for explanations. For _magic,_ specifically, or some way that it could have once existed in a way that she could remember it from.

And now, here in the proper timeline (if not a little earlier in time than she'd once been,) here were the remnants of that phase of her life. Granted, she still enjoyed a good conspiracy theory. But nowadays, now that magic was a fact in her life and not a fairy tale, now that she knew alternate realities were real, her interests had shifted away from those things to other topics—she was still trying to confirm that the Grinch classified as a cryptid, for example, and Krampus? Krampus was a textbook cryptid.

But looking at the notes, and the paintings of her memories, and her thoughts scribbled down on napkins…something about it got the gears in Elle's mind turning again.

* * *

"Do you think there are other versions of us?"

It was just after dinner time, a few days later. That stray thought was still wandering around in her mind, and she'd finally decided to share it with her forever person.

"Hmm? How do you mean?" Bernard looked up from where he was digging around in the sofa cushions. They were at his house that particular evening, and little things always seemed to go missing in unlikely places there. "I don't really think there are a lot of other couples like us, Els," he said with a triumphant smile, plunking down on the sofa with the found remote.

"No, not like that." Elle emptied the bag of freshly popped popcorn into a big bowl, frowning thoughtfully. Seeing that she seemed really serious, and that the vibe through their bond felt the same way, he looked a little more concerned. "I mean, other _versions_ of us. Throughout the multiverse."

"Have you been reading more of those theoretical websites again? They seem pretty hokey, shouldn't let them get to you."

"Nah, more like my old notes from back home." She came and sat down beside him, handing two glass bottles of fizzy soda to him to open, the popcorn bowl in her lap. "They just got me thinking. If I was right about all this being real"—she gestured around, but clearly meant the Pole and the magical world beyond it—"then…isn't it possible there are other universes where you and I exist too? Under different circumstances?"

"I mean yeah, in theory," Bernard agreed, taking the tops off the bottles. Elle still didn't know how to do that with just her hand like he did, and found it oddly satisfying to watch. "Pretty sure Hawking spoke about that at some point. Father Time could probably clear the whole idea up for you, if you happened to catch him at a talkative moment. He's the expert after all."

"Isn't he always pretty talkative?"

"Well, yes. But if you catch him after he's had a few drinks, he'll _really_ get into the metaphysical stuff you're into. The trouble is getting him to _stop."_

She couldn't help but laugh at that, finding the idea of a buzzed and talkative Father Time quite amusing—something led her to think he'd use a lot more hand gestures than normal. "It's not a bad idea, though he's not due here for a few more months." She sighed, resting her head on the back of the couch. "And you know how I get when a thought takes over." Meaning, she found it hard to drop the subject until her curiosity was satisfied.

"I do. And I can only assume this is the idea that you've been mentally shielding me from the past few days." Elle looked guilty, but Bernard just chuckled, setting a hand on her knee. "It's okay, I'm not _mad_ about it. I just find it funny the things you think you need to keep private."

"It's just a _weird_ train of thought, you know? I felt a little embarrassed at how far my mind wanted to run with it," Elle admitted sheepishly, picking at the popcorn. "I mean, if there _are,_ how many of those universes do we meet in?"

"A lot, I hope," Bernard said, slipping a straw into her drink and passing it to her. He lifted the popcorn bowl out of her lap and into his, setting his arm along the back of the couch and beckoning her closer. She scooted over against his side, snuggling against his shoulder.

"And the ones we don't?"

"Probably not worth talking about."

"It just made me wonder, how many are happy universes? Are some completely bizarre?"

"Ours is a little bizarre already."

"But you know what I mean. And what about the ones that are _un_ happy? What if sometimes we _don't_ get a happy ending." Her voice went quiet towards the end, and she looked down into her drink a bit sadly. Bernard gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

"We already had a close call with our own universe," he pointed out, tone equally quiet. "I don't like to think about ways we might not have ended up together, because there was a point when that was a very real threat. But, if I did think about it, I like to think we'd work it out in the end. That we'd find our ways back to each other—just like we did here."

"That's a nice way of looking at it," Elle said, and he smiled. She couldn't help but smile back, letting out a soft laugh. "Leave it to you to be the optimist when it comes to us, hmm?"

"Wouldn't want to switch up my shtick now, would I?" He leaned his cheek against her head, and she felt a warm thrum of reassurance along their mental connection. "No, it's really what I think. Because if there are other universes where we exist, I'd like to believe that us being together is a constant throughout them. Don't you?"

"Yeah, B. I really, _really_ do."

And somehow for Elle, without any further reasoning or explanation, that was more than enough.

* * *

 _Hey guys! I know it's out of season for ROE to be updating, but you know me, I like updating year round if possible. I just wanted to drop in with this short little tie-in of a chapter to let you know that I'm posting an AU collection for this story! It's based off of tumblr style alternate universe romance prompts, and is of course centered around Bernelle. I currently have around twenty different oneshots/drabbles/multi-part series AUs and I wanted to share them with my off tumblr audience here on ffn. I posted this chapter here too, not just in the spin-off, because I wanted to make sure that those of you subscribed to just ROE and not me as an author got the news as well!  
_

 _As per usual, requests/prompts are always welcome_ — _especially for the AUs. If you'd like to see them replied to a bit more quickly, you can even head over to tumblr (my username is shittyelfwriter there as well) and drop them in my ask box! I can promise you'll get a reply faster there, and my anon asks are always on if you'd prefer that._

 _I'll be posting the AU collection under the title_ A Hundred Lifetimes. _I really look forward to seeing what you all think of them, and I hope you're all having a good year! :)_

* * *

 ** _Disclaimers:_**

 ** _I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself._**

 ** _Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters._**


	38. Chapter 37

_37._

It was November by the time the conversation of the potential vacation came around again. Bernard and Elle were back on their feet by then of course, well into the holiday buzz and rush for deadlines. It wouldn't be until after Thanksgiving that things would _really_ take off, but the pressure was still there. Luckily, thanks to their great teamwork and a solid year of Elle doing what she did best, they were well on schedule. In fact, so comfortably on schedule that Elle didn't really feel guilty thinking about the vacation idea like she'd expected to.

She didn't go to Bernard with it again, not at first. She already knew his opinion on the matter and until she'd scoped out the situation, she didn't want to bother him about it. No point in being a nag, after all, and besides, she wanted to hear Santa's opinion for herself. But as the case were, she ended up getting Mrs. Claus' input on the matter first.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Carol and Elle were both in the newly assigned nursery, which was adjacent to the Claus' bedroom and the office. Elle had offered to lend a hand with setting up some of the furniture, since Santa was seasonally busy and had been putting the job off a little. She was helping with a rocking chair just then, Carol unboxing children's books onto a low bookshelf while the crib still sat in its box in a corner. That at least, Santa would put together.

"Hmm?" Elle looked up, three screws tucked between her lips and an instruction manual at her feet. Three pieces of the chair were floating before her as she checked her work over.

"You seem awfully quiet today," Carol said with a smile, setting a copy of Goodnight Moon onto the shelf.

"Oh! I suppose." Elle set the screws down and the pieces of the chair floated down beside them. "Sorry, I hope I'm not being bad company."

"Nonsense! I really appreciate you helping me set all this up, by the way." Carol gestured around at the room. "I mean, I know the rest of the housekeeping staff would help if I asked, but sometimes it's nice to do these things with a friend." She looked down at the box she was unpacking, and although Elle felt happy at the idea of being considered a friend, she sensed a bit of worry from the woman.

"He will make time, you know," Elle said, with a little smile. "From what Bernard has told me, Santa gets really caught up in the flow at this point of the year. But we are ahead on production, and he's already made an impressive dent in the List."

"I know," Mrs. Claus admitted, setting a hand on her stomach. "I've been up here long enough to know not to be offended by Busy Season. It's just, I've always been the one looking out for other people's children. This is _my_ first time being a parent, and…" she trailed off, but Elle could tell where she was going.

"And you're worried that Santa will forget that, because it's not his first time?"

Mrs. Claus hesitated, then sighed. "Something like that, yes. I mean, I know he's happy to have this baby—our baby!" She set a fond hand on her stomach, smiling for a moment before growing solemn again. "But I know he's worried about it too. He gets this look sometimes, and I can just _tell_ that he's overthinking."

"As someone who can hear thoughts, I can second that," Elle agreed, trying to jam a leg of the chair into the seat but found it wouldn't _quite_ fit. "Not that I peek into _what_ he's thinking—that's none of my business— but he's definitely got some frenetic thoughts going on up there." She tapped her head.

"I wish he'd just tell me what he's worrying about. Then I wouldn't feel so bad about worrying myself." Carol sighed, setting an empty box aside and thanking an elf who brought her a cup of cocoa. They left one for Elle too, beside her on the floor, and she set aside the partially assembled chair to take a break.

"Well," Elle said, turning to face Mrs. Claus better while sitting cross legged. "Maybe you should just ask him. He probably just doesn't want to worry you, so he's keeping his feelings close."

"You think so?"

"I do! I know he doesn't want to make things harder for you. And I know that he's not big on complaining—except sarcastically, sometimes. But this isn't really the time or place for that." Elle's gaze fell to her drink, a frown settling on her lips. Was she giving Mrs. Claus her opinion at this point, or voicing her thoughts on her own situation?

"So what's troubling _you_ , hmm?" Mrs. Claus changed the subject, and Elle regretted showing her concern so plainly on her face. "If you don't mind talking about it, that is. I don't want to pry."

"I don't mind talking about it," Elle admitted. "It's that I don't know how to explain what I'm thinking clearly. It's kind of messy to piece together."

"I know you've been through a lot this year," Carol continued, her tone a bit softer and less casual. "So I don't want to just assume it's work."

"It's a bit of both, I think." Elle didn't want to be a burden, talking about all her issues when Carol already had her own pile of worries. It made her second guess discussing the situation at all. Sensing this, Mrs. Claus took a more no nonsense tone.

"Like I said if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay! But I've sure spent my time venting, and I'm more than willing to listen." Carol smiled, and Elle felt more at ease. She let out an uneasy breath, offering a smile of her own.

"Where do I even begin?"

"How about the beginning? What's the first thing on your mind?"

"That I'm worried. Even though I feel like I shouldn't be."

"A common theme around here lately, it seems," Carol pointed out with a chuckle.

Elle nodded, chewing her lip. "Yeah no kidding. It's just…with everything that happened last year, and _this_ year, I'm…I dunno. A little apprehensive? About spending Christmas here." She have a little laugh. "That sounds really stupid, considering I signed up for Christmas to be my main gig, but…"

"No that makes complete sense."

"Does it?"

"Elle, of course it does! Look at all you and Bernard were going through this time last year. It's no wonder that you're feeling stressed about being here when last Christmas was…well, quite traumatic, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, you could say that. The last _two_ Christmases, actually." It made sense, when Carol said it so plainly. In her own head, Elle found the concept a lot more convoluted. "And on top of that, it's nearly winter. Which Winter is fine! Jacqueline's mom is absolutely lovely. It's just, who comes along _with_ winter that's got me worried."

"You mean…"

"Jack Frost." There was a cold silence between the two after the name, which was kind of fitting. Elle's frown deepened. "According to a reliable source" —Jacqueline, of course, but Elle didn't feel like explaining _that_ dynamic at the moment— "Jack's due to make his rounds any time now. And I haven't spoken to him since the end of the Watch incident. Neither has Bernard, and I'm _really_ dreading that interaction…"

"I can't expect it to be pleasant."

"Me neither!" Elle sighed, setting her cup down on the floor. "This Christmas shouldn't be about what happened last year, or the year before. It should be about the good things that we have now! Especially for you and Santa." She gestured at Carol, clearly meaning the baby to come.

"Aw, Elle."

"It's true. And that's what I _want_ it to be, hope it will be. I just wish my head could get on board and stop worrying so much." There wasn't even a physical problem yet, it was all just mental tension and stress. Elle knew better than to let herself run with her emotions like that, but she couldn't help but feel like she wasn't just worrying for herself. She was worrying for all the people she cared about—all the people she had _left,_ that is. The events of last Christmas had been her fault to an extent and she didn't want to be a part of anything that would affect them that negatively and drastically ever again.

"Well." Carol set her near empty cup aside, leaning forward. "If we keeping moving forward with a positive outlook on things, maybe it'll all work out in the end, hmm?"

"I certainly hope so, Mrs. Claus." Elle smiled, even though she felt a bit weary inside. The least she could do was to put on a brave face, right?

Carol returned the smile. "Now, back to work for the both of us. If we can manage it, I'd love to have this place set up by the weekend." She paused after rising from her chair and set a hand on her stomach, frowning. "But I think I'd better take a restroom break first."

* * *

The subject was left alone after that, at least on Elle's part. Mrs. Claus did end up speaking to Santa about her concerns and it seemed as though they managed to work through some of them, because both Scott and Carol seemed to be in a better mood after that. For a while, at least. Most of November went off without a hitch, Elle's stress climbing slowly but surely as the beginning of Winter fast approached. Tensions around the workshop were building on all levels—personal, and business.

And Elle, with more time to think about her worries, was able to get a better grasp on what was more bothering her. The Council had never dealt with Jack; Scott himself had said they would "cross that bridge when they came to it". But here they were, with the bridge looming before them, and Scott was most likely too distracted with his family life to want to have to deal with Jack. Which made Elle worry even more. She didn't know how to feel about Jack, at this point. He had been her mentor, even her friend in a way at one point. But now, with her quite plainly being _best friends_ with Jacqueline, that left her in an odd, uncomfortable place—even _before_ you considered what Jack had done to her and Bernard.

And they were well into November, which meant he could show up at literally _any_ moment, unannounced.

It wasn't exactly the most comfortable feeling, waiting for that to happen, but Elle tried to console herself with the idea that she'd feel him coming in advance, somehow. With how anxious she felt and her telepathy on high alert because of it, that seemed like a reasonable thing to expect. So she tried to focus on work, on her projects, on the deadlines.

It worked—until it didn't. It was a Wednesday, after lunch, the kind of time when it felt like the day would never end, and the stress didn't help that. Neither did the fact that she'd been working on the same Nintendo console for two hours with no real progress. Three screws had snapped in half and wires kept frying components for no apparent reason, and it was so annoying to her that she didn't even stop to think that maybe her telepathy was fritzing out until the whole thing burst into flames. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she just stared at it, confused for about ten seconds before her eyes widened in panic and at that point, another elf had already run for the fire extinguisher and to put the smoldering mess out.

"Are you okay?" Someone asked. Elle suspected it was one of Quintin's assistants but didn't have the capacity to look and find out. Her eyes were stinging, whether from smoke or upset she wasn't sure.

"Yeah," was all she could get out, followed by a quiet "sorry, I'll be back to clean this up in a bit" before she wove her way out of the little crowd that had formed around her table, tossing her apron onto a nearby chair on her way to the door. She needed to get out of the workshop and away from the noise for a little while.

Word eventually got around to Bernard about what had happened, and while Elle occasionally had accidents something about the timing of this one made him worry. He knew how much stress she'd been feeling since what had happened back in October, and the seasonal crunch was just making that worse. She'd been doing that thing she did when too wound up to sleep—a mixture of either staying up all night researching or working, or not even going back to her suite at all. He supposed maybe he wasn't the _best_ example of a healthy working schedule, but he liked to think he'd gotten better about it since Elle had come into his life as a partner, and he _had_ been voicing his concerns. She just hadn't been listening much, which went hand in hand with her being stressed. Not the best combination, nor was the knowledge that he could _feel_ that a great part of her worry was about Jack returning.

Make no mistake, he _wanted_ to reassure her nothing would go wrong. The problem was…he himself wasn't entirely sure it wouldn't. They'd both been affected by what Jack had pulled the year prior, and it almost felt stupid to think that they would get through a Christmas without some sort of problem. _Then again,_ he reasoned, while walking towards where he suspected Elle to be hiding out. _Maybe this is what we're facing this year: the communication issue. Maybe it could be that simple for once?_ It felt like wishful thinking.

He eventually caught up with her, but it wasn't for a few hours—not until dinner. He found Elle in the Kitchen, picking at her lasagne with an exhausted and hopeless air about her, everyone giving her a berth as they passed by. He sat down across from her, offering a slight understanding smile.

"You have a minute?" Elle hadn't expected to see Bernard for another two and a half hours—during Busy Season, they didn't often get to spend as much time together at work as they did other parts of the year. Which was fine, because it meant seeing each other at the end of the day was a relief from the pressure. But she knew he'd heard about her mishap by then, and she didn't want to be fussed over. It only made her more anxious and kind of claustrophobic to boot. She looked up, forcing a tired smile.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" She joked halfheartedly, and his smile brightened. Okay, maybe the crappy attempt at humor was worth it after all.

"I think there's a few things we should discuss. Can you meet me in the office in five?"

"Maybe." Elle hesitated, something in his tone making her concerned.

"You know, _if_ you're not too busy mincing your dinner into baby food."

Elle pulled a face. "Yeah, I'm queasy. I just… I dunno…" she trailed off, out of snappy comebacks simply because she was too tired to come up with another. He seemed to read into her distress quickly enough.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have poked fun at you like that. Five minutes?" He reminded gently, and she nodded.

"Okay." She looked up, but he was already leaving. She watched him go, tried not to worry about what he wanted to talk about, hoping against hope that it just had to do with work. Two minutes later she gave up on dinner and tossed it out, using the remaining three minutes to walk to his office instead of teleporting, since she needed the chance to pull herself together at least a little.

He was already there when she arrived, just setting his satchel aside and turning on a few lights. "That was quick," he said lightly, clearly trying to make the mood more comfortable.

"You did say 5 minutes," Elle pointed out, cringing slightly at how flat her tone was. Bernard noticed it too, giving her a look that gave her that same concerned feeling again. _Oh,_ she realized. _It's his concern, he's concerned. Dammit, have I really done that bad of a job hiding it?_

"Hiding what?" Bernard asked, and she sighed. Of course he'd heard that. He took a seat next to her, leaning back against the cushions. "Let's start there."

"Do we have to? In the middle of the work day?"

"I mean, I've been feeling this from you at home for weeks and you're not bringing it up there either, so…" He shrugged. "Better now then never."

Elle rolled her eyes, shoulders sagging. "Great." That frustration immediately died away though, replaced with her usual anxiety. "I've got a lot on my mind, B."

"You usually do," Bernard pointed out with a half smile, reaching out and taking one of her hands. "Sorry, go on."

"I'm trying to make sure nothing goes wrong this year."

"We all are, Els. You're not alone in that, we're all part of a team—"

"Bernard that's not what I mean." She felt bad for cutting him off, but she couldn't handle listening to him give the whole 'teamwork" lecture just then.

"Okay." He waited, she could feel him trying to gauge her mood across their connection. "You're not just anxious," he realized. "You're afraid."

For some reason, that brought tears to Elle's eyes. She was afraid, wasn't she? She'd spent the whole year trying to be strong and recover from what had happened and in the end, she was still afraid. It made her feel small and incapable to realize that.

"Yeah. Just a bit." Her voice was small, and there was this ache in her chest that made her feel like she was about to cave in on herself. "Is that wrong?"

"No! No of course not, Elle, it's… _normal_ , after what's happened. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm a little afraid too."

"You are?"

"Well yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong! I'm also excited, about everything we've done, everything we've become, and just _us_ in general…" his smile faded slightly. "But that also means that I worry about it getting taken away again. And I think at this time of year, it's a sore spot."

She nodded, feeling the anxiousness lift a bit under the relief of being able to talk about it with him—and not feeling like she had to carry it alone. "I'm just…" She began, then paused and started over. "It feels awful just waiting for _him_ to show up. And as much as I wish he won't, I know he will and I know I'm not ready for when that happens." She looked down at their hands together, brows furrowed. "I _do_ know the last time I talked to him didn't end on a bad note—hell, in the end even _Jack_ told me I should be with you—"

"He did?" Bernard seemed confused. "When did _that_ happen?"

"Right before we reversed the timeline. Didn't I ever tell you?"

"We don't exactly like bringing him up, remember? Even less so when Jacqueline is around, and she's been around a lot this year."

"True." They really hadn't discussed him at all, to the point where she didn't even know how Bernard felt about the whole situation. "And since we never talked about it, I never thought to ask you how you were feeling about him."

"I try _not_ to think about him. I think I finally understand why Jacqueline feels the way she does—until what happened to us, I'd seen what he'd done to his family, and that made me angry. I mean _angry._ But besides that he'd mostly seemed like a nuisance, since none of his attempts to overthrow Santa really worked out…" He frowned, that confusion coming back. "At least, not that I _remember_."

"And now?"

"Now when I think about it, I'm angry all over again. In a different way then I was angry for Jacqueline and her family, but it's still similar. If anything it's the same wound, just deeper. He's hurt people I care about, nearly killed one of my best friends, and successfully taken you away from me. If he hadn't done such a poor job with the last bit I could have lost you for good."

"I don't think so."

"Oh?"

Elle smiled, just a little. "The more I think about that the more I believe that we would have found our way to each other in the end. I dunno, it's just a feeling."

Bernard's expression relaxed a bit. "Funny, I've felt that too." He squeezed her hand. "If Jack does remember what he did, I don't think he's going to be running around here _nearly_ as cocky as he was before."

"And if he doesn't remember?"

Bernard let out a long sigh. "Then he might need to be reminded so he doesn't act up again."

"B…"

"Listen, I'm not saying I'm going to start a situation. But he's got to be held accountable for what he's done, and if nobody else wants to discuss it then I'm not afraid to. If I had anything to say about it, he'd just do his job and _leave."_

"But that's Santa's decision."

"Yes, but I'd like to think Santa would listen to his Head Elf in this case, and make the _smart call._ I think I've earned that from him. _"_ There was a pause, and he fixed her with a confident gaze for the first time during their conversation. "I'm not gonna sit back and let him do anything he shouldn't, Elle, you have my word on that. He's not going to bother us again."

"I mean…I'd feel a little better about that promise if you weren't so intense about it."

"Was that a bit much?"

"Just a little. Sounds like you wanna fight him at three am behind Elfbusters and I really don't like the sound of that."

Bernard laughed outright. "Okay okay, I'll tone it down. I just want you to know for sure that I'll be keeping an eye on him, that's all."

"I believe you! And if it were a more routine year, I'm sure that would chill me out nearly all the way. But I'm concerned with the timing, you know? With Christmas coming up and him showing his face finally and baby Claus due to be born any time now…"

"It's a lot, I know." Bernard sighed, letting go of her hand to stretch an arm out across the back of the sofa. Elle moved to sit closer against his side, leaning her head on his shoulder. "We really don't have a precedent for Santa and Mrs. Claus having a child. Granted, it's got elf morale through the roof—"

"The false alarm from last week nearly gave me a heart attack though."

Bernard chuckled. "Yeah, there's that. Remind me to put a second crew on the Elfirmary expansion, because if Mrs. Claus really does end up needing the delivery room so soon it'll need to be done by the end of the month."

"Good point. I can't wait for that place to be finished—the doorways especially, I've nearly knocked myself out several times when leaving. They're too low!"

"You get used to ducking after a few hundred years."

" _And_ it probably wouldn't be great for Carol to have the baby in a room like that."

"Definitely not. Then again, the Elfirmary hasn't seen too much action until recently. Elves don't tend to get sick enough to need a hospital, so there hasn't been a great need for it to be too big. If something were serious, like a larger accident or the like, they would go to Crystal Springs." All the talk of hospitals reminded him of what had happened earlier with Elle. "Say, while we're on the topic of accidents, what happened earlier in Electronics? Patrick told me your project caught on fire."

 _Ah, so it was one of Quintin's apprentices. "_ It did, but you know how it goes when I'm upset. My mind gets all overstimulated and next thing you know my telekinesis starts slipping and messing up stuff I'm doing. I think I was causing some sort of electrical interference."

"You think it's something to get checked out?"

She shrugged. "There's nothing Dr. Hismus can do that doesn't involve sedating me. I went in a few weeks ago and he suggested a mild tranquilizer but it just makes me sleepy, I know that from having taken them in the past. Doesn't help me get a grip."

"Are you having headaches again? I've been feeling a sort of nagging discomfort from your side of the bond."

"Yeah but pain meds don't really touch it. I'm sorry it's bothering you."

"It doesn't hurt me," Bernard explained. "But I notice and worry about _you."_

"I appreciate that a lot, B." Elle sighed, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Unfortunately, the only real solution would be to be less stressed, but I don't see that happening."

"Well we can't have it getting any worse."

"That's easier said than done."

It was obvious there was no clear solution, other then to step away from everything completely. But even Elle didn't feel like it was fully warranted just yet—and if they _did_ go on that vacation that she was needing more and more, she wanted to wait til the last possible moment to take leave.

"I agree," said Bernard, answering her internal thought process aloud. "I don't like the idea of leaving the Workshop, not so close to Christmas, but even I can see that at a certain point, if things get too complicated… it would be better for you to have a break, and I'd never send you off on your own."

"I hope you know I don't just want to run away either," Elle countered quickly. "I genuinely want to be here, doing this, with you and everyone else! I'm not tired of it at all, I'm very lucky. But after the year we've had and with everything seeming to just pile on more and more stress…I'm just worried that in spite of how I would _like_ to be able to cope, I might not be able to. At least not _well."_

"That's both fair _and_ responsible. I think—" A buzz from the desk interrupted him. "Is that…"

"The Santa buzzer? Yeah. I can feel he wants to talk to us about something." They both sighed, then exchanged a look at the mutual wariness. "We should go."

"Right." Bernard pressed a kiss to her head and Elle smiled, rising from the sofa and offering him a hand up. "Here's to hoping he just has a question about something mundane, cause it feels like he only uses the buzzer when something's gone wrong."

"Can we finish talking later?" Elle asked, nervous to let the subject drop without finishing the conversation.

Bernard smiled. "Of course we will," he reassured her. "I'm not one to forget something so important that easily."

* * *

"Is something wrong, sir?" They made it up to Santa's office in good time, finding him just as he was getting off the phone with someone—Elle suspected it was Charlie's Mom, Laura.

"Ah, Bernard. And Elle! A twofer." He put the phone back into his desk drawer, then moved aside a couple of smaller toys on the desk to make room for a piece of the list. At this time of year, Santa's desk was often in a state of partial chaos—today was no exception. "Nothing's wrong, no! Of course not."

Both elves let out a breath at that, relieved. After the talk they'd just had, they were both hoping to catch a slight bit of a break from bad news. "Everything alright with you two? Not to pry, but you seem a little on edge lately, and I heard there was an incident with a fire earlier…"

"It's been dealt with," Bernard offered, clasping his hands behind his back. "Nothing a little communication can't fix."

"Just a bit of seasonal stress," Elle added, because although she knew why he was trying to keep things under wraps, it didn't quite sit right with her. "I'm sure you can relate."

"Do I _ever._ " Santa got up, shutting the doors to the balcony as if trying to be secretive. "That's part of why I called you up here. I'm worried about Carol." He went and glanced both ways into the hall to make sure no one was lingering there, then shut the office doors as well.

Bernard raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is something you want to talk to us about? It's not hard to get in touch with Cupid if you need expert advice."

"No, I _do_ need to talk to you two because the solution affects all of us. I think it'll really help Carol when the baby comes, since I don't think that I'm quite enough support for her…" He trailed off, looking a bit sad.

"I'm sure that's not true, sir."

"But it is! To a degree, at least. Which is why I think this is the _perfect_ solution."

Bernard and Elle exchanged a glance. "What solution, Santa?" Something about the way he was leading into this was putting them both on edge.

Scott grinned, quite triumphantly. "I want to bring her parents up for Christmas!"

Elle felt her stomach twist, her head growing a little dizzy. Based on what she'd spoken to Mrs. Claus about, Santa wasn't wrong. Having her parents with her would probably make her feel more supported while having the baby…but something about it just made her _upset. Deeply upset._ She was so caught up in confusion about what she was feeling that she didn't hear what Santa and Bernard were discussing, mainly something about the SoS and the danger that having humans—adult humans—visiting the Pole posed.

' _Elle?'_

"…Elle?" She looked up, realizing that he had asked her something but having no idea what it was. Santa's expression shifted into concern. "Are you..?" He swiped at his nose and she mirrored the gesture, finding her nose wet. Her fingers came away tinted red, and she felt even dizzier. She felt Bernard's hand on her arm. _Boy was she naive to hope that things would get easier to handle._ She sniffed, forcing a smile.

"I'm fine. And I think it's a _great_ idea, Santa."

* * *

 _Welcome to this year's round of RoE updates! I really hope you all will enjoy the chapters I have ready for you this Christmas. Some of them I've been working on all year!_ _And as I mentioned at the end of the last chapter/interlude, I have a second story currently running that is a collection of alternate universes for RoE and bernelle in general! I hope you'll consider checking them out as I'll be updating them all month as well! It's titled_ _ **A Hundred Lifetimes.**_

 _Reviews, faves and follows are always welcome, and if you'd like more story related content there are a few tags on my tumblr you can check out for story snippets, art, and more! My username is shittyelfwriter there as well and the_ _tags are listed either in my header or on the sidebar of my blog, depending on if you view on mobile app or desktop site. Hope to hear from you all soon!_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". The only thing I own is my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters.**_


	39. Chapter 38

_38._

As soon as the conversation with Santa was over, Elle clocked out early because of her nosebleed. It refused to let up, so Hismus made a house call to her suite, confirming it was a side effect of her telepathy and suggesting that she take the night off and move as little as possible until the bleeding stopped. She'd reluctantly agreed to do so, with some small convincing from Bernard. But after the doctor had gone, Bernard seemed troubled; and because of the state of her head she couldn't quite tell if it was him being concerned about Santa's choice, or what was happening with her. Maybe it was both?

Elle sighed, leaning her head back against the headboard of her bed to stare at the ceiling. Her head felt heavy and full of static—similar to the feeling of a limb falling asleep. "I can feel you stressing, B."

"Sorry, I was trying to keep it to myself."

"You know that doesn't work well for us, not when we're alone in the same room." She looked over at him, still with tissues up her nose. "I know, this is the _most attractive_ you've _ever_ seen me look. It's hard to talk to someone so beautiful. I'm _intimidating_."

He snorted softly.

"But you can still tell me what you're thinking. My nose is busted but my ears still work, right?"

"I don't want to stress you out even _more._ That's what got you here in the first place, your being so stressed out."

"You know communication is a big deal to me. Nothing calms me down more than being able to talk things out. So, talk things out with me. I'm here, and I'm listening."

Bernard hesitated, chewing his cheek for a few seconds while he searched for the right words. "I'm frustrated," he admitted finally. "I feel like you told Santa something was a good idea without even asking me about it."

"I didn't realize it was something we should have discussed ahead of time. He kind of put us on the spot—"

"I know!" His tone grew more annoyed, but she could tell it wasn't with her, it was with Santa. He sighed, running a hand down his face. "I know. Maybe that's the part that's frustrating me. Either way, it's something we should have taken the time to discuss, privately. Because you don't know everything about what's allowed up here, and maybe you would have felt differently about the idea of Mrs. Claus' parents visiting if you did."

"You're talking about the SOS."

"The _Secret Of Santa,_ yes. Keeping Santa, the North Pole, the Workshop, the _elves_ , out of humankind's reach and awareness. It's not the kind of thing we just make exceptions on."

A pause. "My sisters and I came here, that was an exception. How was that any different from Santa's in-laws? I'd think in-laws would be _less offensive._ They're the Claus' _extended family."_

"Because you three came here because of a rule. A Clause, even."

"Yeah, I'm _well_ aware of that. But what are you really afraid of? Them telling everyone Santa exists? Nobody seemed worried we'd tell the world that."

"Because you were two young adults and a child. It wasn't likely the world would believe you," Bernard admitted. Elle already knew that though, so it didn't exactly hurt her feelings.

"And you're _more_ worried about two senior citizens telling the world? That they'd be believed? I mean, come _on._ It would take a large scale operation to really blow the truth wide open about this place. They're an older couple."

"Regardless of the details, the rules are the rules for a _reason_ , Elle. They're there so we aren't exposed when we don't need to be. They keep us _safe_."

"You're sounding like Curtis for elf's sake. And keep us safe from what, Carol's parents? They love their daughter, Bernard." Her voice caught on _daughter,_ her eyes casting down at her lap. "They wouldn't do anything that would hurt her, and she's happy here. You're blowing this out of proportion." She sniffed, blowing her nose on a fresh tissue, then crossed her arms and looked across the room. "I'm not changing my mind on what I said. It _was_ the right thing to say. I've talked to Mrs. Claus at length about how she's feeling about the baby coming, and I can see how she feels alone—regardless of Santa's best efforts. It's not a great situation."

"Of course not. But going to this length? At this time of year? It seems rushed, Santa didn't even seem to be sure of the decision."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, fighting off the pounding in her head. "All I know is that if I were having a baby…" She was finding it hard to make the point she wanted to. "If I were in Carol's shoes, I'd want my parents there too." _Oh, that's what it was,_ she realized. _That's why it's upsetting me. It's the family thing again. It's reminding me of what I don't have anymore. I thought I'd learned to cope with that by now…_

On the bedside table next to her, she heard glass crack and didn't have to look to know it was her water cup. _Damn telepathy._ "Just leave it," she said, but she heard Bernard pick it up carefully and leave the room. He came back, sighed, then sat down beside her, reaching over to take her hand.

"It's like you say. What's the term? Bold of you to…"

"Bold of you to assume?"

"Yeah." Bernard shook his head. "Bold of me to assume Scott would listen and _not_ bring Carol's parents up. At least by being on his side, you've made him more willing to take criticism and advice from us."

She was relieved that he'd come around a bit. She didn't like being at odds over something like this, something that didn't even really involve them much.

"So are you still mad at me?"

Bernard sighed, looking over at her for the first time in their conversation. "I wasn't angry with you to begin with. I just wasn't ready for this Christmas to get even _more complicated."_ He laughed. "I mean, we were _literally_ having a discussion about how we couldn't handle anything more on our plate, and then _this_ happens!"

"Don't I know it." Elle smiled, feeling the last remaining tensions along their connection melt away. _That felt much better,_ the strain in her head dropping considerably. She came out of her thoughts to find Bernard watching her, a calculating expression on his face.

"How does the first week of December sound."

"Hmm? For what?" She asked, confused.

"For a vacation. We could leave the first week of next month."

She looked over at him in shock. "You're not serious."

"Don't I look serious?"

She squinted at him for a moment before realizing that made her headache worse. "Yes, but you literallysaid less than three hours ago that it was a _very_ bad idea."

"Well it is. It's definitely not something I'm _at ease_ with, but it's the lesser of two evils when you're hurting like you are—and especially because I don't like the way Hismus seems at a loss for how to help you other than to sedate you."

"I did warn you." She found herself fidgeting with the tissue in her free hand. "He said I _have_ to take a sedative now, at least sporadically. I don't have a choice at this point. I have to have a scan tomorrow morning, he's worried about this bleeding." She pulled a new tissue from the nightstand and blew her nose again. "Which means there will be days when my telepathy is down. Which means I won't be able to do my job fully, or—or hear you, in my head…" Her voice trembled. Clearly the idea was working her up, even though she was trying not to let it.

"I should have known that he'd want you to do that. It's what we did back when you first got your powers—when you couldn't control them." He reached out and took her hand again, feeling how afraid she was and hating how powerless he felt to help her. _No. He wasn't powerless, it just meant doing something he wasn't one hundred percent sure about. But she was having to do that, too, so who was he to complain?_ "I can't let you be here for all this if it's going to be this traumatic for you. It isn't right, and it isn't fair—and if I'm completely honest, it could cause problems for everyone else too."

"I _think_ we've seen that happen before."

"Besides," Bernard added with a slight laugh, "we didn't work this hard all year for nothing. Production is well ahead of schedule and at this point even if we do step away for a bit, it would take _a lot_ to mess that up."

"You think so?"

"I know so." He ran a thumb over the back of her hand. "I also know that the only thing that's ever made me step away from the Workshop during busy season was you, and I don't have a problem with that being the case again."

Elle sighed, leaning against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, B. I really thought I was ready to handle all of this. I..."

"You don't need to apologize, Elle. You aren't letting me down."

"Are you _really_ sure about that? Because having to step away…"

"Look, you need a break, and I've been giving some thought to the way you said I sounded about confronting Jack. I think there's a chance that after everything we've been going through lately, and all of this with the in-laws thrown into the mix…" He trailed off, an eyebrow raised as if even he were surprised at himself.

"You might need a break, too?" she ventured, and he nodded.

"I just might." There was the possibility that he was saying that to make her feel better, but that wasn't what Elle felt coming from him. He almost seemed to feel…relieved? Or like he _would_ be relieved, once they were _on_ vacation. That made her feel quite a bit better about needing a break.

"We're really gonna do this?"

"I think so." He nodded again, with a bit of a smile. "Yeah. We are."

For the first time since they'd begun talking about the idea of a vacation earlier that day, Elle was _relieved._ She couldn't stop a slight smile from creeping onto her lips.

"So, where do you want to go?"

"That's what I was about to ask you."

* * *

"You two want to vacation _? Now?"_

Santa looked quite alarmed to Elle, and she began to wish she hadn't volunteered to tell Scott herself while Bernard made sure things were, in fact, caught up enough. She smiled, doing her best not to show the strain of the headache she was still having—luckily though, the nosebleed had stopped for now.

"With your permission, of course. But don't worry! We'll only be a call away if you need us. But Bernard and I both think that things are complicated enough here, and my adding to the problem with this"—she tapped her head—"isn't exactly going to help."

"You might be right," he agreed, stroking his beard. "But at the same time, it's nearly December."

"Yes. And you want to bring Carol's parents up north, which isn't something we were expecting."

Santa looked completely shocked, then sheepish. "That's fair, isn't it?" He sighed, taking a seat and putting his glasses on. "You're right, I did spring this on you. I'm springing it on everyone, really, but I understand if it's too much for you right now. I can handle things well enough, you don't need to feel _too_ guilty." He gave her a smile and a small wink. "Charlie's not coming up this year, which gives a nice window of opportunity for the in-laws to visit without too much else on my plate besides the baby, and _them_ being here."

"Are they really so bad? No offense," Elle added, "but the vibe I've gotten from you about them is really apprehensive."

"It's just the in-laws experience!" Scott said with a laugh, but still pulled a face. "Bud and Sylvia are argumentative, and it grates on a person. But besides that they're good people and Carol loves them. She _deserves_ to have them here for this. I just feel bad because of the SOS and all…and I worry about them knowing about this place."

"I'd say take Carol to them, but that's disruptive in more ways than one."

"Yeah, I'd already thought about it and ruled it out."

"In that case, having them come here is probably the only good option left." Elle sighed, rubbing at her temple. "And hey! Worst case, things don't go well and you can call me and Bernard back early. I'll wipe their memory of this place, and it'll be no harm done."

"You can do that?" Santa asked, surprised.

"I mean, I think so. It's well within my abilities…I've definitely done it a few times with my parents," she admitted, becoming quieter at the mention of her own family.

"I see." Seeing the way she reacted to the mention of her parents really made it clear to Scott just why Elle needed the time off. Telepathic mishaps aside, it really was hard for her to be reminded of everything she'd lost. Considering the past few months—the past year, really—it wasn't a surprise. But he also knew that wasn't the only reason. "It would be easier if you two stayed, but I can understand why you and Bernard need to step away. I can't exactly say I'm looking forward to seeing Jack again, either."

"I wonder if he'll even remember what he did."

"I don't think it's something easily forgotten, number two."

"To him it might be." Elle looked down at the toes of her boots. "There's the jump back in time, too. I know everyone who was in the Pole when we came back to last Christmas remembers what happened, but I don't know about those outside the Dome."

"We'll have to see when he comes around, I suppose." Scott frowned. "Or I will, at any rate. It's probably best that I speak to him first anyway. You and Bernard have more reason to be emotional about seeing hm again then I do."

He wasn't wrong, but Elle could tell he was wary of seeing Jack again himself. She could feel it. "Let's talk over how things will work around here when we're on leave one more time?" Elle suggested, in an effort to lighten the mood. "Just so you're sure about the details. That way you can worry less about the Workshop, and more about family matters."

Santa smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

' _You packed yet?'_

"About halfway. You?" Elle said out loud, before remembering Bernard was on the other side of Elfsburg. Somehow, he heard her anyway.

' _Almost. Think I need to do some laundry before I can finish, I'm missing a bunch of socks.'_

"They might be here. I'll check the living room." Sometimes on nights when it was too much of a hassle to go home, he would stay with her in her suite. Sometimes he'd even go home, then change his mind and come over to sleep at her place instead, which she never minded—but sometimes socks got lost along the way, either finding their way under the couch or bed or even into her own laundry.

' _Good idea, thanks. Hopefully they're there and not…somewhere more lost.'_ She wondered what he meant by that. But before she could ask, he went on. ' _By the way, did you get a chance to double check the list we came up with? I need to make reservations, so the order matters.'_

Elle chuckled, sweeping an arm under the bed and pulling out three socks, one hers and two his, but the socks that were his didn't make a pair. "Leave it to you to _organize_ our vacation. Yeah, I think it's nice. Though…" she paused. "Let's switch the last two? I don't think we should end it there…the more I think about it, it bothers me."

' _Of course. New York makes a great last stop you know, especially on Christmas.'_

"Isn't it hard to get a place to stay on such short notice?"

' _Not if you have connections—especially magical ones.'_

"Right. I always forget."

' _S'okay. You know I don't mind reminding you.'_ Elle couldn't help but smile, a warmth in her chest at his playful tone. She reached under the couch, grimacing and expecting dust bunnies but instead finding a few more socks, six cents, a peanut M&M, and a hair tie.

"Have you told Curtis the good news yet?" She could feel him sigh, and couldn't help but shake her head. Whatever Curtis had done before with the Toy Santa thing had really left Bernard with his doubts, hadn't it?

' _I'm not holding a grudge about that. It just bothers me that Santa is so set on giving Curtis a second chance at more responsibility, when I know that Quintin could do the job perfectly well while we're gone.'_

"He's got enough to do in R and D. Or had you forgotten that he's giving the sleigh an overhaul this year?"

' _No…'_

"Okay then. Santa doesn't want anyone spread too thin, that's all. Curtis has had a really good track record lately, I think he deserves a chance."

' _You have to admit, the reason he hasn't had many mistakes is because you're usually around to check things before they get out of hand.'_

"I do _not_ have to admit that!" Elle said, stubbornly, picking up a decent size pile of socks and dumping them in a free hamper. "I think he's doing great, and I've witnessed it firsthand. You're too hard on him."

"I'll take your word on it." She turned and was met with Bernard, a surprise kiss, and a smile. Her slight annoyance melted away. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." She couldn't help but smile at the soft look on his face. "Found your socks," she said, handing him the hamper.

"Great! Don't have to buy more." He set it aside and set a hand on her cheek, scanning her face for any signs of pain. "How's your head today? Any nosebleeds?"

"A little bit overnight, but nothing too bad. My headache got less when I had my morning coffee," she admitted quietly, and he nodded.

"Did you get your prescription filled?"

"Yes. Hismus said not to take it until we'd left the Pole, or on days when we want to teleport."

"Right. We can make that work." He kissed her forehead.

"You're being extra affectionate today," Elle pointed out, and he flushed.

"Am I? Hmm." He smiled, moving aside a piece of her hair. "I just think you need a little extra gentleness right now, that's all."

That was hardly _all,_ since Elle knew it meant he was extra concerned about her and her mental health, but he wasn't wrong. She really could use the careful handling just then, and she'd never complain about extra attention from him. "That's thoughtful of you, B."

"I do try." He gave her hand a squeeze, thinking. "You know, while we're still on the subject of planning ahead, maybe we should let Jacqueline know we're going to be away for a few weeks. Just so she doesn't drop by only to be disappointed when we aren't here."

"I don't think she'd be likely to just _drop in_ at this time of year." Which was true, all things including Jack considered.

"Fair point. If she's not busy, maybe we should drop in on _her_ on our way out?"

"She might want to go to Toronto with us. She really likes Canada, keeps saying we should go sightseeing there."

"She'd be just the sprite to show us around."

"That'd be good timing, I can take over the presents for her and the rest of her family."

Bernard seemed surprised. "You got them all presents?"

"Well yeah I mean, what kind of elf would I be if I didn't," Elle said, rolling her eyes with a smirk.

"That's my girl." _Oh. That sounded nice._ "So. Dinner at my house tonight? We finalize the plans, tomorrow we tell Curtis…"

"You think Santa will tell Mrs. Claus?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Good." Elle was relieved. "I don't know if I can handle having to tell her myself."

"She extra moody lately?"

"I really hate to say it, because I'm the last person on earth who should judge being overly emotional, but..." She shrugged uncomfortably. "Just a bit? Yesterday she cried because one of the teddy bears had a crooked nose. I don't think she'd take the news too well from the person leaving."

Bernard chuckled. "I don't think you need to worry about it. Santa will tell her, we just need to take care of our side of things." He was rubbing both of her arms, up and down, and Elle could _feel_ the comforting energy he was sending her way. She leaned into him and hugged him, a weight coming off her shoulders. "You hungry? We should probably grab dinner before we head home."

"Can we have pizza?" She mumbled into his shirt, and he nodded.

"Sure thing, sweetheart."

"I'll throw the socks in the wash if you make the order?"

He smiled. "You've got a deal."

* * *

 _Hey there! Sorry for the sporadic updates this year, but the category as a whole has been slow hasn't it? I was planning on having more chapters prepared, but as it turns out the year got the better of me and between having a flu across October/November and this holiday season being unusually rough on me emotionally and physically, I didn't get as much prep work done as I'd planned on. As of right now I can promise a few more updates this year before Christmas, but not as many as last year. My hope is that I'll be able to get the few chapters I have planned that didn't get done in time written across the first half of 2019, then get to some of the more eventful stuff during the second half of the year so I have a nice big chunk of updates for next Christmas. Regardless, thank you to everyone who has continued to follow this story! As long as it already is, I guarantee you that I have a lot more planned to share of Bernard and Elle's lives._

 _Stay tuned for more updates this week! As a tad bit of a spoiler, the next chapter features some lovely cameos from SafyreSky's Frost family, especially Jacqueline herself._

 _Faves, follows comments and especially reviews are always appreciated! I love hearing from you guys, it really gives me that motivational kick I crave. Thanks to LoveFiction2018, SafyreSky, and AngelinaMarieA for your reviews of the previous chapter! Hugs to you all, and I hope you're having a very happy holidays._

* * *

 _ **Disclaimers:**_

 _ **I am not Disney or Disney affiliated and therefore do not own any rights or credits to any characters, concepts or places portrayed in or from "The Santa Clause 1, 2, or 3". What I do own are my own creative work and original content and characters, including the Connelly family, the Emissary Clause and Elle herself. Please do not use my concepts, plot or characters without my permission.**_

 _ **Many characters and concepts are borrowed/used shamelessly from the works and headcanons of SafyreSky, all rights and credit go to her for coming up with such incredible ideas. These include but are not limited to the Legate concept, Jacqueline Frost and the portrayal of many other non-canon/canon characters. I have permission to use these and frequently check with her to be sure I do her work justice.**_


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